


The Call

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: It Started Out as a Feeling [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, I'm DEFINITELY not planning to kill anyone, archive warnings are just to be safe, but only like 15 people die so like, not that many, that's a lie it's a war let's be real here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-09-14 20:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9202424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: Young Jedi Knight Leilani Odelia has been entrusted with a ship and the 305th Legion attached to it. She will have to battle her own fears, a Sith, and the very real possibility of her own troops turning on her if she's going to make it through the Clone Wars alive, and she's determined to bring as many of her men through with her, no matter what it takes.





	1. It Started Out as a Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani meets her new troops, the 305th Legion.

A young human stared out the cockpit window, gathering her courage to exit her fighter and face the bustling soldiers outside. She had made it to the _Selfless,_  the capitol ship orbiting Barab One, but now she wasn’t sure what to expect. She felt a twinge in the Force: curiosity, directed towards her from a cluster of soldiers nearby. She’d been noticed. She closed her eyes and absorbed the emotions around her for a moment, trying to get a sense of the people around her. All but one of the signatures around her held the same trace of water world and discipline underlying the various feelings of their consciousnesses: the clone soldiers. Her soldiers. Their presences were unique, but they had that coating of similarity that led to some Jedi believing they were expendable copies, not truly unique living beings. The young human shuddered and focused on the last Force signature, which might as well have been a bonfire of energy, a brilliant inferno that dwarfed the presence of the clones. She recognized the signature as Master Gin Vite, one of those Jedi who looked down on the clones.

Irritation began to spike in the clone officers, who were clustered around Master Vite. The young Jedi grimaced and hit the button to open the fighter’s canopy. She’d dawdled too long, and the Master had probably said something rude to one of the clones. For a Jedi, he wasn’t terribly respectful of some lifeforms.

“Odelia, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to join us or not,” Master Vite sniffed as the younger Jedi approached. She remembered that one variety of lifeform Master Vite wasn’t fond of was younger Jedi.

“I was taking a moment to meditate and observe the men,” she replied evenly, bowing briefly. “I hope I didn’t inconvenience you.” She addressed that last part to the clone officers. “I know you have duties to attend to.”

“They’re not inconvenienced at all,” Master Vite assured her. “Clones, this is Jedi Knight Leilani Odelia. She’ll be the general in charge of the 305th from now on.” The officers saluted in unison. Leilani smiled and returned their salutes with one of her own, and her smile widened as their surprise spiked into the Force. “Odelia, this is-“

“I’ll get to know them soon enough. You have to get back to the Temple, don’t you, Master Vite?” she interrupted, keeping her tone polite. He frowned at her, then nodded sharply.

“I do. Fare well, Odelia. If you have any problems with them…”

“I think I can handle this. May the Force be with you,” she added, hoping that would get him to leave faster. It worked, and within minutes the older Jedi was in his own fighter and leaving the ship. Leilani relaxed and turned to study the five officers still standing by. “Whatever he said earlier, I’m sorry,” she told them.

“What do you mean, General?” one of the clones asked. His helmet and armor bore an odd black stripe that ran from just beneath his left eye, down the side of his helmet, and continued on his chest armor.

“I could feel you all getting irritated with him, and I know how Master Vite can be,” Leilani explained.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” another officer assured her. This one had what looked like a fang design on the shoulder of his armor.

“I’ll take your word for it, for now,” Leilani conceded. “Now, could you tell me your names?”

“I’m Commander CC-20-“ the one with the line from his helmet to his chest armor began. Leilani held up her hand to stop him, and he fell silent, his confusion leaking from his presence.

“I asked for your name, Commander,” she explained calmly. “I can get your number from my data pad. And please remove your helmets; I would like to see your faces.” The clones exchanged looks, then took off their helmets. The one who had started to give her his number had a scar running from his cheek, down his neck, and disappearing under his armor.

“I’m Commander Scratch,” he told her. “I’ve been commanding the 305th, but now that you’re here, I hope to focus on First Unit. These captains have their units under control.” Leilani nodded thoughtfully.

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” she agreed. “I’d like some time to see how things are running before I make any decisions, though.”

“Understood, General,” Scratch replied, his lips twitching a little. On the unscarred side, he was smiling, but the scar on his left side made his skin move differently, she noticed.

“I’m Captain Leon,” said another clone, this one with his hair dyed blond and allowed to grow longer than most clones liked. “I’ve got Second Unit.”

“Captain Rufus, Third Unit,” said the one who’d assured her Vite’s words were nothing to worry about. His hair was short and dyed red.

“I’m Hawk, and this is Rom. Fourth and Fifth Units, respectively,” added the one with a feather pattern on his helmet. The fifth officer, Rom, had what looked like a circuit board pattern tattooed on his temple. Leilani reached out with the Force, making sure she would remember what each man’s presence felt like so she would be able to find them if necessary.

“I’m glad to meet you all,” she said honestly. “Would you show me the way to the command center and brief me on what’s been happening? I was only told general information before I was sent here,” she admitted. Rufus’s expression didn’t change, but she could sense his feelings in the Force. He wasn’t surprised that they’d been sent an apparently unprepared leader.

“This way, General,” Scratch said, leading the way out of the bay. Leilani followed, but the captains didn’t. She assumed they were returning to their units. “Commander Dent is in charge of the ship and its crew.” Leilani blinked. Most of the clones’ names had made sense, and she knew from the clones she had worked with in Herring Company before she was assigned here that they earned their names based on the differences between them and their fellow clones. She was pretty sure Scratch’s scar was what had earned him his name, and the others’ names could have been because of their hair styles or personalities. But Dent?

“Why is he called Dent?” Leilani gave in to her curiosity as they reached the command center.

“You’ll see. He should be here unless he’s on the bridge,” Scratch told her. The door opened, and Leilani walked into the command center. Standing beside the table in the middle of the room was a clone in the uniform of the ship’s officers. His hair was cut in a normal military fashion, except that there appeared to be a spot on the back of his head where the hair wasn’t growing.

“Ah. I understand,” Leilani murmured. Scratch glanced at her, seeming to appraise her reaction, then approached the holotable before she could figure out if he approved or not.

“General,” Commander Dent greeted her with a nod. “Welcome aboard the _Selfless_ ,” he added, a hint of pride in his voice.

“Thank you, Commander,” Leilani replied.

“Our mission on Barab One is to keep the Separatists from using the system as a staging ground for attacks,” Scratch said, pulling up a hologram of the system. “You were assigned to us because the barabels don’t like clones.”

“And they revere Jedi,” Leilani finished. “That makes sense. Has there been much activity?”

“Just a few vacuum skirmishes. They haven’t tried to land on the planet yet,” Dent told her. “And since they’ve only been sending a couple scouts at a time, we haven’t had any casualties.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” An alarm sounded.

“That’s the proximity alarm,” Dent muttered, tapping a button on the control panel to activate the comlinks. “What’s the situation?” he demanded.

“Twenty or so vulture droids, incoming,” crackled the reply.

“Launch our fighters,” the commander ordered, before deactivating the device and turning to Leilani. “Where will you be, General?”

“I would like to familiarize myself with the pilots,” she decided after a moment of consideration. “My fighter should be done being checked and refueled by now, so I’ll fly out with them.” Dent’s eyes widened slightly, and Leilani nodded to him, then turned and started off toward the bay where her ship was. Scratch and Dent watched her go, then exchanged surprised glances.

“She wants to get to know the pilots,” Dent repeated.

“Not all Jedi are like General Vite.” Scratch sounded like he was reminding himself of that as well as Dent. “This one already seems better. I’ll accompany you to the bridge if you don’t mind.” Dent gave him a sharp nod, and the two officers left the command center.

* * *

 

Leilani guided her fighter out of the bay and into the vacuum of space. The clone pilots were already positioning their ships between the _Selfless_ and the incoming enemies, so she guided her fighter to the edge of their formation.

“Mantis squadron, check in,” ordered Dent over the comm from the _Selfless_. The pilots obeyed, calling in their numbers as the enemies drew closer.

“Mantis fifteen, here,” the last one confirmed.

“Mantis sixteen, here,” Leilani added. There was a moment of stunned silence, which the Jedi used to memorize the Force presences of each of the fifteen pilots. Then the clone temporarily designated Mantis One spoke.

“Good to have you, General,” he said. “Let’s blast these droids!”

“Lead the way, Mantis One,” Leilani replied, her lips curving upward. A message scrolled across a small screen off to one side: her astromech, R2-D33, or Dee, had a comment.

>>Please don’t take hits for the other pilots this time.<< Leilani made a face at the droid that went completely unappreciated and followed the clones’ fighters toward the enemy. She kept to the back of the formation, watching for vulture droids trying to circle around behind her troops. The droids broke into two groups, flowing to either side.

“Two through eight, with me!” Mantis One ordered, peeling off to the left to take on one group of droids. “The rest of you, with the General.” Leilani shook her head; she hadn’t been planning on leading any of these pilots so soon. But she didn’t object.

“Nine, ten, drop back and keep an eye out for any that break away from the group,” she told them. “Eleven through fifteen, let’s get them.” She urged her fighter forward, heading straight for the vulture droids. The clones obeyed, five of them forming up around her fighter. “Pick your targets and fire at will,” she said calmly, selecting a vulture in the middle of the cluster and firing. Laserfire erupted around her, from her allies and her enemies, and after taking down two or three of the droids, she looped around to where Mantis Nine and Ten were waiting. “Thanks, you two. Why don’t you join the fun now?”

“Roger that, General,” Mantis Ten replied. The two fighters surged toward the remaining droids as their fellow clones looped back for a second pass. Leilani kept her eyes on her half of the squadron, but reached out through the Force to the others. Mantis Three’s fighter had taken light damage, and Mantis Seven was having trouble shaking the enemies on his tail.

“Mantis Seven, loop up in front of Mantis Four so he can get those droids off your back,” Leilani suggested, hoping Mantis One wouldn’t be offended by her input. No one voiced an objection, and a moment later, both vultures that had been pursuing Mantis Seven were nothing but scrap. The Jedi grinned and turned her attention back to her own half of the squadron, which was chasing after the last few droids. She watched as they destroyed their targets, then flew back to regroup.

“All enemy targets have been destroyed. Good job, Mantis Squadron,” the comm link announced. “Return to Bay Four.” The clone pilots obeyed immediately, but Leilani stayed where she was for a moment, staring out into the darkness of space. She could feel a buzzing on the edge of her range of sensitivity, and she didn’t like it. A shrill beep pulled her attention back to her immediate surroundings. Dee had sent another message to the screen.

>>Are we going to sit out here until we run out of fuel?<<

“Oh, hush, Dee,” Leilani muttered, pushing her worries over that buzzing feeling to the back of her mind. She would have to meditate on it, try to get a more precise impression of the buzz. But that would come later, when she had time to focus. For now, she needed to get back to the _Selfless_ and check on her pilots.

“Welcome back, General,” Scratch greeted her when her feet were firmly on the bay’s floor. “Did you get acquainted with the pilots?” Leilani grinned.

“Mantis Fourteen really enjoyed himself,” she observed, nodding to the clone whose signature matched the one she’d felt from Fourteen.

“That’s Vacuum. He’s happy any time he gets to fly in space,” Scratch told her. Leilani studied the clone in question.

“Interesting,” she murmured. “Do you need anything from me?” she asked, realizing she wasn’t sure why he had met her as soon as her fighter landed.

“We received a communication from the Barabels. They want to meet you as soon as possible,” he told her.

“All right. I’ll arrange a meeting,” she said. “But first I want to check on the pilots.”

“No one was hurt,” Scratch told her. “Even Swoop – he’s the one whose ship got damaged – isn’t injured.” Leilani made a mental note that Mantis Three’s name was Swoop.

“Still. I want to meet them face to face,” she insisted. Scratch shook his head.

“As you wish, General,” he agreed. Leilani made her way to where the pilots were clustered around Mantis Three’s – Swoop’s – fighter, surveying the damage.

“How bad is it?” she asked.

“Not too bad; it’ll be flying again in no time,” one of the clones answered, seemingly unaware that he was talking to the general. Leilani recognized his Force presence.

“You were Mantis Six, right?” All fifteen pilots stopped and turned to face her. They realized who she was and saluted. Leilani resisted the urge to sigh. This whole saluting every time she walked up thing was getting old fast. “Relax, all of you. I just want to see how you’re doing and learn your names,” she explained.

“We’re all fine, General. I’m Storm, by the way,” the clone who had been Mantis Six told her.

“I’m Jet,” added Mantis One. He then went on to introduce the rest of the pilots. Mantis Two was Strafe, Four was Loop, Five was Jink, Seven was Vortex, Eight was Lightning, Nine was Thunder, Ten was Divebomb, Eleven was Whirlybird, Twelve was Wingtip, Thirteen was Cloud, and Fifteen was Roller. Leilani studied each clone as his name was given, making sure their Force presences were cemented in her mind.

“It’s great to meet you all,” Leilani told them. “I wish I could stay and get to know you more, but I have to arrange a meeting with the Barabels.”

“Are you going down to the surface?” one of the pilots asked.

“Probably. Why, do you want to get in a cockpit again so soon, Jink?” she teased. The pilot blinked, then grinned.

“Of course, General,” he replied. “Unlike Vacuum, I like flying in atmospheres.”

“I’ll keep you in mind if I need a ride to the surface, then,” she told him before turning to Scratch.

“Commander Dent is waiting in the command center for us,” the commander said before she could ask.

“Let’s not keep him waiting much longer, then,” Leilani replied.

* * *

 

“Dent, have the Barabels set a location and time for a meeting?” Scratch asked as he and Leilani entered the command center.

“Their representative is already on his way up to the _Selfless,_ ” Dent answered., tone and expression grim. “He was getting impatient, and I think he doesn’t believe we actually have a Jedi. I’m sorry, General. I think stalling made the Barabel representative like clones even less,” he sighed.

“It’s all right, Dent. This is why I was assigned here,” she reminded him. “Have the Barabel dock in the main hangar, and I’ll meet him there.”

“Yes, General.” Dent turned to the controls, and Leilani turned to Scratch.

“Would you accompany me to the meeting? I want the Barabels to be less hostile toward clones, and you being with me might help with that,” she said.

“All due respect, General, but are you sure?” the commander questioned, lifting a hand to the scar on his face. “I’m not exactly the Barabels’ favorite clone.”

“All the more reason for you in particular to be by my side,” she replied. “Come along, Commander. We shouldn’t keep the representative waiting any longer.” She led the way, Scratch following reluctantly.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea. The Barabels really, really don’t like clones,” he reiterated.

“Because they revere individual accomplishment and survival skills, Scratch,” Leilani replied. “And they have a religious connection to anyone who can use the Force, which is why they like Jedi. We’ll be just fine.”

“As you say, General,” Scratch agreed dubiously. They reached the main hangar, where a single Barabel stood beside the shuttle that had carried him from the surface.

“Greetingss, Jedi,” the Barabel said, eyeing Leilani and Scratch appraisingly. Leilani bowed, sensing his dislike for the clone.

“Greetings,” she replied. “I am Jedi Knight Leilani Odelia. This is Commander Scratch.”

“Thisss on iss Shaka-ka, Barabel represssentative. It iss a pleasure to meet you. Your companion, on the other hand…”

“Scratch has been a wonderful help to me since my arrival here,” Leilani replied, making sure her tone stayed respectful despite the Shaka-ka’s obvious displeasure. “Please, bear with his presence. If your people would give the clones a chance to prove themselves, I think you would see that these men are not what you think.” Shaka-ka tilted his head and gave Scratch a steady look. Leilani sensed that the Barabel representative was torn between wanting to believe in and trust the Jedi and his previous assessment of clones in general. “You don’t have to believe me, but please take my words into consideration. In the meantime, be assured that my troops and I will ensure the droid armies don’t cause any trouble in this sector.”

“Thisss one iss greatful for a Jedi’ss pressenccce. Perhapsss the Jedi would like to visssit thisss one’sss home,” Skaka-ka offered.

“I would like that very much,” Leilani agreed. “However, it may be a few days before I have the pleasure of enjoying your hospitality. I have things to take care of here.”

“Thisss one underssstandss,” Shaka-ka replied, seeming slightly more at ease with the reassurance that the Jedi would likely be on the Barabel’s turf the next time they met. “Thisss one looksss forward to the vissit.”

“As do I. Will you return to the surface, or would you prefer to remain on the _Selfless_ to observe?” Scratch’s surprise and dismay leaked into the Force, and Leilani reached out, sending a soothing wave of energy toward him, which made him twitch before he relaxed under the soft but steady pressure of the calm she’d imposed. Leilani mentally kicked herself; she’d forgotten that Scratch wouldn’t be used to her Force abilities. Luckily, he seemed to be controlling his reaction, and the Barabel didn’t notice as far as the Jedi could tell.

“Thisss one will return to the ssurfaccce for now,” Shaka-ka decided. “But thiss one iss grateful for the offer.” Leilani smiled and bowed.

“I look forward to hearing from you again soon, Representative,” she said. The Barabel returned her bow, then went back onto his shuttle. As the shuttle exited the hangar, Leilani turned to Scratch. “I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking!” she exclaimed, forgetting to conceal her emotions in her haste to apologize. The Commander’s eyes widened.

“Why are you...wait…that weird calm was you?” Leilani gave him a tentative shrug, hesitant despite the lack of anger or fear in his tone or Force presence.

“Mental communication and things like that are a bit of a specialty of mine,” she admitted. “I really am sorry. I just reacted to what I could sense you were feeling.” Scratch studied her for a moment.

“So you can affect people’s emotions as well as sensing them?” Leilani nodded, waiting for him to decide how to take this information. “That could come in handy,” Scratch said thoughtfully. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about what you can do?” Leilani blinked and focused on his presence, looking for any sign of a negative reaction. He was more surprised and curious than anything else, which she hadn’t expected. The last time she’d instinctively used her abilities to calm someone, it hadn’t ended well.

“You aren’t angry? Or at least unnerved?” she demanded incredulously. Even other Jedi often frowned upon her using her powers in what they considered an invasive manner.

“It’s weird, sure, but you’re a Jedi. Weird stuff happens around Jedi,” Scratch said calmly. “And I meant it about wanting to know more.” Leilani’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Sure thing. I should probably tell Dent and the captains too,” she added.

“I agree, General,” Scratch replied. “I’ll call them.”

“Should we head to the command center?” Leilani suggested.

“One of the shooting ranges would be better, actually. Eaves always seems to know everything that happens in the command center,” Scratch said ruefully.

“Eaves?” Leilani repeated. “Is that one of the men?”

“He’s a trooper in First Unit, but he should have been trained as a scout. If you ever need to find someone or know about something that happened on board, just ask Eaves,” he added. “I’ll show you to the range.”

“He sounds both annoying and useful. I’ll be sure not to say anything I don’t want him to hear when I’m in the command center,” she replied. “For now, lead the way.” Scratch saluted, grinning, then he led her out of the hangar and down the corridor. She followed, hoping that the other officers would be as open to her powers as Scratch was.


	2. Which Then Grew Into a Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani reveals her abilities to the clones.

Leilani took a moment to study the five clone officers who had joined her and Scratch in the shooting range. Dent stood, hands behind his back, watching the Jedi quietly. Leon leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Hawk was sitting on a crate he’d pulled from the obstacles set up around the range. Rom stood beside Hawk, and Rufus was sitting on the floor between Leon and Dent. Scratch was standing beside Leilani, glancing between the general and his fellow clones.

“So what’s so important that we have to come here to ditch Eaves?” Leon asked, his gaze shifting from Scratch to Leilani and back. The young Jedi opened herself to the Force, sensing their curiosity tinged with concern. 

“Did the Barabel representative declare war?” Hawk tilted his head in a rather birdlike fashion, eyes narrowing in what might have been suspicion or interest. Or both, considering the way his presence rippled.

“It’s nothing like that,” she assured them. “I wanted to discuss something with you, that’s all. While I was meeting with Shaka-ka – the Barabel – I used one of my Force abilities. Scratch thinks it could have some strategic value, and I don’t want anyone caught off guard.” Leon straightened, no longer leaning against the wall, and Rufus leaned forward. “I can sense individuals and their emotions in the Force, manipulate those emotions, and project thoughts into their minds.” She said it as evenly as she could, but she was certain her anxiety showed in the way her eyes darted from officer to officer.

“Telepathy?” Hawk murmured. “That really could be useful.”

“Can you find specific people?” Rufus asked. Leilani nodded. “Even specific clones?”

“Of course. Every being has a unique Force presence,” she said. Dent frowned like he didn’t believe her. “Want me to prove it?”

“I wouldn’t doubt you, General,” Dent replied evenly.

“Why not? We’ve only just met,” she pointed out. “You have no reason not to doubt me. I’ve met all of the pilots, so if one of you want to pick one, I’ll call him here with my powers.” The officers exchanged thoughtful looks.

“How about Vortex?” Rufus suggested. “He’s one of my pilots in Third Unit.” Vortex…he’d been Mantis Seven, Leilani remembered as she closed her eyes and let her awareness spread throughout the  _ Selfless _ , locating several of the pilots in the mess hall. None of them were Vortex, though, so she shifted her attention elsewhere. There. He was in one of the barracks rooms, with two clones whose presences she didn’t recognize.

_ Vortex, _ she called, carefully brushing the thought against the edge of his mind.  _ It’s General Odelia. Could you come to the shooting range near the main hangar, please? _ For a long moment, the clone pilot’s mind was blank with shock.

_ I’m going crazy, _ he thought. Leilani grimaced.

_ You’re not crazy, Vortex. I’m using the Force to communicate with you. Can you just come to the range? I’ll explain when you get here, okay? _ She could sense his disbelief.  _ Please? What’s the harm in coming? _ After a moment, she sensed him moving away from the other two clones in the barracks, heading for her location.  _ Thank you. _ Then she pulled back, tracking his progress passively but not actively speaking to him.

“Vortex is on his way,” she announced. Before the officers could reply, she paused. “Someone is following him,” she muttered to herself, mentally tagging the clone who was walking a few steps behind Vortex. “They’re almost here.” A moment later, the shooting range’s door slid open, and Vortex stepped inside.

“What’s going on in here?” the pilot asked, his brow furrowed in bewilderment.

“We’re just discussing some potential advantages of having a Jedi around,” Rufus answered. “Come on in.” Vortex walked over to their group.

“Sorry to use you for the test,” Leilani said as he reached them.

“What kind of test?” a voice from the doorway asked. Leilani turned to see the clone whose presence she had tagged following Vortex standing in the door.

“General, this is Eaves,” Scratch announced, his tone resigned but unsurprised. “What should we do now?” Leilani shook her head.

“Well, now that he knows we’re here, he’ll find out what we’re doing somehow, right? Besides, I wasn’t planning to keep it a secret; I just wanted to tell the officers first,” she said. “Eaves, come join us.” The trooper walked over, eyeing the officers curiously. “So, Dent, do you believe me now?”

“It’s hard to argue with the results,” the commander admitted.

“What was it like?” Leon asked curiously. Vortex shrugged, unsure how to describe what being contacted through telepathy felt like.

“It’s hard to explain…kind of like someone talking to you, but when you look to see who’s talking, there’s no one there?” the pilot tried.

“Whoa, whoa, wait a second,” Eaves broke in, half eager and half apprehensive. “Tests? Talking and not being there? What’s going on?”

“I can communicate mentally,” Leilani explained. “I called Vortex here to prove it.” Understanding dawned on the trooper, who whistled.

“I wish I could do mind stuff,” he said. “It would be a lot easier to gather information.”

“You know too much about too many things as it is,” Rom commented with a shudder.

“So you can give instructions telepathically,” Rufus said, trying to focus the conversation back to its original topic. “What about the emotional thing you mentioned?”

“When we were with the Barabel, the General noticed my stress and used her powers to calm me down,” Scratch answered, still apparently unbothered by this.

“If thoughts or feelings are leaking into the Force, I can read them. I can teach you how to keep them to yourself, too,” Leilani added. “With practice, you could learn to prevent any Force-sensitive being from reading your emotions, and you can learn to project your thoughts to get my attention and communicate as well.”

“A communication line the droids can’t hack or jam,” Dent mused. Leilani nodded.

“There’s a distance limit, though. If I’m looking out for things in the Force, I can cover the whole  _ Selfless _ , but if I’m not actively looking, my range is a few rooms,” the Jedi said.

“What about finding a specific person?” Leon asked.

“That depends on how well I know them,” she answered. “For example, when I was a Padawan, I could find my Master in the Force on the other side of a planet.” Leilani hoped they didn’t notice the way her voice caught when she mentioned her former Master. That was one tidbit of information she  _ really _ didn’t want to get into right now. “But the Barabel I met today, Shaka-ka, I wouldn’t be able pick out of the Barabels on the surface from here.” There was a moment of silence as the clones considered all of the information she’d given them.

“You just met me today, but you were able to find me and call me here,” Vortex began. “Was that because I was closer?”

“That, and I made sure to memorize the Force presence of all the clones I’ve met so far,” she admitted. “It’s important to me to be able to locate each of my soldiers and evaluate their welfare quickly.” Leon nodded his approval, and Dent shook his head.

“That seems like a lot of effort when you could just use a comm link,” Dent pointed out.

“Maybe so. But the negative results are minimal,” Leilani said. “It just takes a few seconds to initially memorize a presence, and the more I’m around a person, the less it’s about memorization and the more it’s more about familiarity, which is easier. That way, I don’t have to wait for reports to check on everyone.” She didn’t add that she never, ever wanted to wait for a report to know someone was in trouble ever again. She didn’t say that she refused to be limited by comm link signals to keep track of the people around her. She didn’t say that losing one person and not knowing about it until it was too late to even try to help was something she never, ever wanted to have happen again.

“Makes sense to me,” Scratch said. “And being able to calm troops will be useful, too, if we’re in a tight spot.” Leilani nodded.

“So, officers, now that you know all of this, what are your thoughts on telling the rest of the troops?” she asked.

“Eaves will probably tell everyone before we get a chance to,” Leon pointed out. Leilani turned to the trooper in question.

“You wouldn’t tell anyone about this if I asked you not to, would you?” she questioned, studying him carefully. Sincerity bled into the Force with his reply.

“No, General. This is important,” he promised. “I won’t say anything unless you tell me that I can.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Eaves,” Leilani told him quietly. “I don’t want anyone to be upset or think that I’m going to invade their private thoughts. Commanders, Captains, I would like to tell each unit and the  _ Selfless  _ crew separately. If you would each inform your subordinates, and let me know if anyone is afraid or upset, I would appreciate it. I’ll be keeping a lookout for any trouble, so don’t worry about calling your people away from their posts for a bit. If anything happens, I’ll contact you immediately.”

“We’ll take care of it, General,” Scratch promised.

“As you command,” Dent agreed. Rufus nodded, and Hawk hopped off his crate while Rom saluted.

“We’ll go tell everyone now,” Hawk told her.

“Eaves, let’s go,” Scratch ordered. He and the trooper left, with Rom, Dent, and Hawk right behind them. Rufus stood.

“Vortex, you’ll assure the others that the telepathy doesn’t hurt or anything?” Third Unit’s Captain asked.

“Of course, sir,” the pilot answered. The two left together, talking quietly. Leilani watched them go, then sighed.

“Are you okay, General?” The Jedi jumped; she’d been so focused on the troops on their way out that she hadn’t registered the fact that Leon was still in the room, leaning against the wall again. “You’ve been on edge the whole time.”

“It’s nothing,” she responded automatically. The Captain shrugged casually.

“As you say, General,” he agreed easily. “But if something is bothering you, you can talk to Scratch about it. He’s decided you’re a good commanding officer, and he’ll stand by you.” Leilani raised an eyebrow.

“And what about you and the others?” she asked.

“Dent and Rom are cut from the same cloth: they may be more stiff and formal, but they’ll both follow orders. You can depend on them. Hawk will do what’s best for the mission; he’ll get the job done with whatever tools he needs,” Leon said.

“And Rufus?”

“He’ll follow orders, but he won’t be afraid to tell you if he doesn’t like those orders. He’ll stand up for his men. Scratch will, too, but the Commander would voice his objections in private, while Rufus isn’t afraid to question most commanding officers in front of the troops,” he added.

“You’re telling me an awful lot about them,” Leilani observed. “Why?” Leon shifted away from the wall and stretched lazily.

“The more you know about them, the less likely you are to be caught off guard by them. And I figured it might reassure you a bit,” he confessed. “Now, I should get going, or Second Unit will be the last to know about your powers, and that might offend my scouts.” Leilani couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Thank you, Leon,” she said. He gave her a reassuring grin and a salute, then left. Leilani waited until he was gone, then sat on the floor and closed her eyes, letting her awareness grow and spread, until she had a broad understanding of how things were going on board the  _ Selfless _ . If any of the ship’s alarms went off, she would know. She considered meditating on the buzzing feeling she’d sensed earlier, but decided against it. There would be time for that once she knew how all of her troops reacted to the news of her mental abilities.

* * *

 

The clones had resumed their posts five minutes ago, but Leilani stayed where she was in the shooting range. Some of them felt unnerved, some curious, but none of them seemed angry or hateful about the information their officers had just given them. Leilani let herself relax; as far as she could tell, her troops weren’t going to react as poorly as people from her past had. She would begin training those who wanted to know how to block her out tomorrow. For now, though, she could concentrate on other things.

The buzzing at the edge of her awareness tugged at her attention, and she started to focus on it, trying to pinpoint if the feeling was hostile, and where it was coming from. She knew it wasn’t coming from Barab One below, but that was about all she could tell. The young Knight frowned to herself. Maybe she should take her fighter out and circle the  _ Selfless _ ; it might help her sense the buzzing more clearly.

Leilani opened her eyes and almost yelped, the buzzing fading from her awareness as shock flooded her mind. There was a clone sitting in front of her, watching her. She’d been so intent on what she was sensing outside the ship that she hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on in her immediate vicinity. Now that she wasn’t reaching so far out, she could sense the other clones on board…but not this one.

“Hello,” Leilani said. “I haven’t met you before.” The man’s lips twitched upward slightly.

“No, you haven’t,” he agreed. “My name is Shadow. I’m a scout in Second Unit.” So he was one of Leon’s troops.

“It’s nice to meet you, Shadow. Are you keeping your mind closed on purpose?” she asked. Suddenly, she could sense his presence. It was still protected, but she knew that this was something he was doing consciously. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling from his presence in the Force, but the way his gaze seemed to weigh her told her that he was waiting to see how she reacted. “That’s amazing!” she exclaimed. “You completely hid your presence. How did you do that?” Shadow smiled and seemed to relax a bit.

“I wasn’t sure how well it was working, but it’s something I’ve been trying to do, just in case,” he admitted.

“Can you do it again?” she asked. The scout nodded, closed his eyes, and a moment later, she couldn’t sense him at all. She reached out to where his Force presence should have been, and found nothing but shadows, not even a speck of light to show that a living being sat there in front of her. “Amazing,” she repeated. “Even when I’m looking for your presence, I can’t feel anything.” A proud grin spread across his face.

“Really?”

“Really! I’m impressed!” She returned the grin. “Can anyone else do that?”

“Not that I know of,” Shadow said. “Sorry, General.”

“Don’t apologize. It just means your skill is even more impressive,” she told him. Then she tilted her head. “Did you come here just to test your skill?”

“I came to see if what Leon told the unit is true,” he answered.

“Oh? So you came to test me, too,” the Jedi mused.

“Don’t worry, General, you passed,” he assured her, his expression solemn but his eyes dancing with amusement. “Leon said you’d be happy if I could shield my thoughts.” Leilani shook her head.

“He’s a perceptive one,” she murmured. Then she met Shadow’s eyes. “Yeah, I’m happy. Mental communication when one person doesn’t have a choice isn’t communication.” She stretched and stood. “I wonder how many of the troops I have time to meet before it’s time for everyone to sleep.”

“Well, if you come with me, I can introduce you to the other scouts in my unit,” he offered, standing. “It’ll be dinner time soon, though.”

“Sounds good,” Leilani agreed. Shadow led her out of the shooting range and down a level, to a door marked as the Second Unit barracks. Shadow opened the door.

“Infra! Pace! Come here,” he called. Two clones emerged from the barracks a moment later. Neither was wearing their helmets, so Leilani could see that they had identical hairstyles and no tattoos that she could see, but their Force presences were distinct. The one on the right felt calmer, more patient. The one on the left studied Leilani intently. “That one’s Pace,” Shadow told her, pointing to the clone on the right. “He’s a rear scout usually.”

“Then you must be Infra,” Leilani said to the other clone. “It’s nice to meet you both.” The two clones saluted.

“So if I’m following the company and notice enemies behind us, would it be faster to contact you or the comm officers?” Pace asked, apparently not bothering with small talk despite his patient feel in the Force.

“Depends on if I’m with the company or not,” Leilani replied lightly. Then she continued more seriously, “You have more battlefield experience than I do. I trust you to make a decision. If your comm link is jammed or damaged, though, contacting me is a safe fallback. You just have to know how to do it.”

“And how is that?” Infra piped up.

“Do you ever read something in all caps and it feels louder in your head?” Leilani asked.

“I guess so,” Infra answered thoughtfully. “You just want us to think in caps lock when we want to get your attention?”

“It’s a good start. Specific words take practice to be able to convey, though, so sometimes emotions work better. If what you’ve found scares or surprises you, you focusing on that emotion will amplify it and make it easier for me to detect than if you’re focusing on words. If you’re hurt, that’s easy to pick up on, too,” she added. “Once you have my attention, I can focus on just your Force signature, and then if you focus on words or images, I’ll be able to detect them.”

“Can we do drills or something with this?” Pace wanted to know.

“I’ll talk to the officers about arranging formal training for everyone, but if you want to practice, any time works. Of course, if I’m busy, I might just acknowledge and go back to what I was doing, so please don’t be offended,” she told them. A spark of curiosity from Shadow made her focus her attention on him.

_ Like this? _ Shadow asked, projecting just that one thought past his mental shields.

_ Exactly, _ Leilani replied. Shadow grinned.

“It takes some concentration, but it’s not too hard,” he told his fellow scouts. Pace closed his eyes, and Leilani widened her focus from Shadow to include a larger area. Pace’s presence flared with frustration.

_ Relax, Pace. You’ve got it, _ Leilani assured him.  _ Don’t try to force it, or you’ll sabotage yourself. _ Surprise sparked in his mind, then amusement.

_ So if I don’t try hard enough, I probably won’t get through, but if I try too hard, nothing will happen? _ The thought floated out from his head.

_ There you go. Now you understand, _ the Jedi replied, letting her own amusement float through the Force until Pace chuckled to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Infra asked.

“Try, but don’t try too hard,” Pace told him.

“Master Yoda says there is no try, only do or do not,” Leilani said, grinning.

“What does that even mean?” Infra shook his head. Leilani started to give him a lighthearted response, but her words came out more serious than she’d intended.

“It means you can’t do something halfway. You either do it, or you don’t. And it’s implied that just trying and not giving it your all is just as bad as doing nothing.” The three scouts paused and studied her for a moment. Leilani opened her mouth to apologize, but Shadow spoke first.

“Then if you say you’re going to do something, we’ll trust that,” he said.

“I won’t let you down,” she promised, suddenly filled with gratitude and affection for these men who had accepted her powers and were eager to learn and willing to let her help and lead them. She decided then that she was going to protect each and every one of them. These were her troops now, and she was going to make sure they stayed safe if it was the last thing she ever did.


	3. Which Then Turned Into a Quiet Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new ship enters the Barab system and brings a mystery with it.

When Leilani entered the mess hall with Shadow, Infra, and Pace in tow, the chatter from the men already present hushed for a moment. By the time the Jedi and the three scouts had gotten their food, though, the voices of the soldiers had resumed their previous volume.

_ Are you going to eat with the men, General? _ Shadow’s question floated in the Force. Leilani smiled.

_ I was planning on it, _ she replied.

_ Come sit with Second Unit, then, _ Shadow urged. Leilani nodded her agreement, and followed the scouts to one of the long tables, smiling at the hint of satisfaction leaking past Shadow’s shields.

“General!” Leilani paused and looked for the clone who had called out. A trooper with bright orange hair waved to her from the table next to the one Infra and Pace were taking seats at. “Want to sit with us?” Leilani wasn’t sure how to respond; she wanted to meet more of the men, but she was also enjoying her time with the scouts.

_ Don’t tell me you’re going to be shy now, _ Shadow teased.  _ I thought you wanted to get to know everyone. Go have fun with the troopers. _

_ You’re awfully comfortable with a commanding officer, _ Leilani replied lightly as she took a seat across from the clone who’d called her over.

_ And here I thought we were friends now. _ Shadow’s mind retreated as he closed himself off again, and Leilani focused on the clones around her.

“I’m Crash,” the orange-haired one told her. “That’s Trig, Bimmi, and Jump,” he added, indicating the clones on either side of Leilani and the one sitting next to Crash. Leilani took note of their presences. “We’re Third Unit’s troopers.”

“I’m happy to meet you all,” she said.

“Can you really read minds?” Crash blurted out. Leilani blinked.

“Want me to try?” The troopers exchanged half-wary, half-curious looks. “I’m kidding. I don’t read people’s minds; it would be invasive, and absorbing and interpretting every thought someone has would be very difficult. But I do pick up on emotions or thoughts people broadcast, and I’m sure your captain told you about me being able to locate and communicate with people.”

“What does it feel like? Captain Rufus said he just knew it didn’t hurt,” Trig piped up.

“You could ask Vortex, or Second Unit’s scouts,” Leilani said. “Or you could feel it for yourself.” Trig’s eyes widened.

“You don’t need to meditate or anything?” he blurted out.

“General Vite always had to meditate, or at least concentrate really hard before he did anything,” Jump explained. Leilani shook her head.

“I can sense and communicate within my basic range without meditation,” she told them.

“So you can pick who you use telepathy on, right?” Bimmi had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Leilani nodded, curious and a little suspicious about where this was going. “Okay, so how about one of those two over there?” He pointed to a pair of clones sitting with Vortex. The Jedi blinked; they were Third Unit’s other pilots, Thunder and Lightning.

“I don’t use telepathy for shock value or pranks,” Leilani chided, frowning slightly.

“I have a bet going with them,” Bimmi explained. “When the Captain told us about your powers, they said they wouldn’t react if you used your powers on them.”

“Thunder and Lightning think they can handle anything,” Trig said sourly. “Bimmi’s been trying to get the jump on them for ages, and so far he hasn’t managed to startle them.” Leilani considered for a moment. She didn’t want to use her powers lightly. But…she noticed that the two pilots in question had their minds wide open. Leilani tentatively reached out and brushed their minds. Shock erupted in both presences, but outwardly, the clones remained calm.

_ Sorry to startle you,  _ she apologized immediately, addressing them both.  _ You’re Thunder and Lightning, right? _

_ I’m Thunder. Are you talking to Lightning, too? _ one of the pilots asked.

_ I’m Lighting, _ the other told her.

_ Nice to meet you. Will the pilots be running flight drills any time soon? _ Leilani asked.

_ Probably. If you’re going to fight with us often, you should know our rendezvous points on and around the ship, _ Thunder said.

_ I’ll make time to learn them, _ Leilani promised. The two clones stood and walked down the table to loom over Bimmi. Leilani retreated from their minds.

“You really thought the General would scare us?” Lightning asked, arms crossed. Bimmi glanced from Leilani to the two pilots.

“Ah, well…”

“We told you, Bimmi, you’ll never manage to surprise us,” Thunder added, shaking his head.

“Thunder! Lightning! Are you – oh! Sorry, General, I didn’t see you there,” Rufus said hastily.

“It’s all right, Captain,” Leilani assured him. The red-haired clone frowned at Bimmi and the two pilots still standing over him.

“You three aren’t causing trouble for the General with your betting nonsense, are you?” Rufus growled.

“Of course not, sir,” Lightning said calmly, stepping away from Bimmi. “Come on, Thunder, let’s see when the others might have time to show the General the rendezvous points.” The two pilots went back down the table.

“Looks like your goal of getting to know everyone is going well,” Rufus observed. “Just don’t let the men get away with anything to get them to cooperate.” Leilani wasn’t sure how to respond; Leon had warned her that Rufus wasn’t afraid to speak out in front of the men, but she still wasn’t sure how to actually respond to his overly blunt attitude.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Captain,” Leilani said at last. Rufus saluted, then walked away. Once he was gone, the troopers were silent, as though waiting for her to say something about Rufus’s words. Leilani decided that for now, the best course of action was to move on. She would have a word with the red-haired Captain once she was done eating…and once she figured out what to say. “So, did you have any more questions about my Force powers or anything?” At her words, the troopers relaxed.

“I don’t think so. Could you try your telepathy on me, though?” Crash asked. Leilani smiled.

“Of course,” she agreed, reaching out toward the clone’s mind. She knew she would have similar conversations with many, many more clones before everyone was satisfied and sure of how her powers worked, even with group briefings and the training she had planned for them. That was okay; she was perfectly happy to answer any questions or demonstrate her powers if it would help her troops feel more secure.

* * *

 

Leilani left the mess hall, drawing her Force awareness close. She was glad her troops were so enthusiastic and curious, but she needed to meditate and then get some rest, so she would be refreshed for the training exercises she would be supervising in the morning. After a few minutes of walking, however, she realized she had never actually asked where her quarters were. Grimacing, she opened up her Force awareness to look for any clones nearby who could give her directions, and was overwhelmed by the sudden urgency of the buzzing sensation from earlier.

The feeling of danger prickled at her, like static electricity from every direction. Leilani hissed in discomfort and tried to pull back, searching for the distance she needed to make sense of what she was feeling. There was so much of it, and she couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from.

“General? Are you okay?” Leilani focused on that voice, using it to pull herself away from the buzzing in the Force.

“I’ll be fine,” she managed. “Keep talking, would you?” The clone – she wasn’t sure who it was, just someone she recognized – reached out and steadied her as she swayed. Leilani grabbed his wrist, using the contact to ground herself and force the buzzing away at last, focusing on the warm, concerned light of the clone’s presence to soothe the raw feeling that lingered in her mind from the awful sensation.

“Sure thing, General. Where were you headed?” he asked. As he spoke, Leilani managed to isolate the buzzing from the rest of what she was sensing enough to interact with the world around her again.

“Ah, I was planning to go to my quarters and meditate,” she said absently, tentatively extending her awareness once more. This time, while the buzzing was present, it wasn’t overwhelming. “But I think I need to go to the bridge or the command center and check in with Dent instead,” she continued. “Something is very, very wrong.”

“That’s a good idea. Dent’s at the command center, conferencing with another ship that’s supposed to be joining us shortly,” the clone beside her said. Leilani recognized the scar on his cheek and the feel of his Force presence: it was Scratch.

“I didn’t know we were getting another ship,” she frowned.

“We didn’t, either. Apparently they just contacted us while you were in the mess hall. Dent just commed me to get you and join him a few minutes ago, actually,” Scratch informed her.

“Let’s go, then,” Leilani said, realizing she was still gripping his wrist, and let go quickly.

“Are you sure? You seemed…distracted,” Scratch said.

“I’ll be better once I find out what’s going on,” she assured him, flexing her fingers and resisting the urge to grab either her lightsaber hilt or his wrist again for reassurance. Scratch shrugged and led the way to the command center, the Jedi on his heels.

“Commander, I cannot allow you into the Barab system unless you have the correct codes,” Dent was saying as Leilani and Scratch entered. Leilani walked over to the table and the hologram of a helmeted clone that hovered above it.

“What’s the situation?” she asked.

“The  _ Persistence _ ’s commander claims they were ordered to join us in the system and set up a base on the surface of Barab One,” Dent told her. “But we weren’t notified.”

“I see. Have you been able to contact the admiral in charge of ship distribution in this sector?” Leilani hid a frown behind a calm, neutral expression.

“No, but Download is working on it,” Dent answered. “He’s on the bridge with a few of the other comm officers. In the meantime, do we allow the  _ Persistence _ into the system?” Leilani turned to the hologram.

“How are you on supplies?” she inquired. “Can you drop out of hyperspace on the edge of the system and give us time to figure this out?”

“I think we can manage that, General,” the clone in the hologram replied.

“Then do it.” The clone saluted, and the hologram winked out. Both Commanders were quiet, watching Leilani. “Something is wrong here,” she said. “Let me know as soon as anyone knows anything about why the  _ Persistence _ is here, and why we weren’t told ahead of time.”

“Commander!” A clone wearing the uniform of the ship’s crew burst into the room. “We detected the  _ Persistence _ coming out of hyperspace, but something’s off.” Dent frowned.

“Download? What is it?”

“The codes and identification all check out, but according to our computers, the  _ Persistence  _ is a cruiser stationed near Coruscant. The ship that just entered our system is too small.”

“Is it staying on the edge of the system?” Leilani asked.

“Yes, General. But with it so far out, we can’t scan it fully,” he answered. The Jedi frowned.

“Download, right?” When the clone nodded, she continued, “Can you pull up a holo of the system and show me where exactly this ship came out of hyperspace?” The comm officer nodded and approached the table. He pressed a few buttons, and the image appeared. “Thank you.” Leilani studied the image, her mind whirling. With the timing of this new ship’s arrival, it could be the source of the buzzing sensation, or at least part of it. That would explain why the buzzing had been hard to pinpoint, and why it had increased so much when she hadn’t been focused on it. Hyperspace often distorted her senses, after all.

“General?” Dent questioned.

“Yes?” Leilani replied absently, carefully opening herself to the buzz in the Force. It swept over her, sharp and urgent, and she was again reminded of electricity. This time, there was more pain, but it wasn’t hers. The crackling energy was ripping through someone else’s mind.

“What are you doing?” It was Scratch who asked.

“I’m trying to see if this distant buzz I’ve been feeling is connected to the ship claiming to be the  _ Persistence, _ ” she answered. The ship was beyond her normal range, but if she knew more about what she was looking for, maybe she could sense something more definitive. “Download, is it close enough to scan for life forms?”

“No, sir,” Download said immediately. “We tried that already.”

“I need to get closer to it,” Leilani muttered. “Or I need to do some deep meditation.” She opened her eyes and glared at the little blip in the hologram that represented the mystery ship. “It’s too far for me to sense easily.”

“You could take a couple of the pilots out and have a closer look,” Scratch suggested. Leilani almost objected to leading any of the pilots into what was potentially a hostile situation, but she knew that while she was determined to protect her men, she couldn’t just keep them away from danger.

“I’ll take Second Unit’s pilots,” she decided. They were the three she’d already used her mental abilities with, so hopefully if there was danger and she needed to use her powers, those three would be easier to work with.

“I’ll have them meet you in Bay Four,” Scratch replied. “Good luck, General.” Leilani nodded to the clones, then turned and hurried to her fighter.

* * *

 

Leilani guided her fighter out into space, Vortex, Lighting, and Thunder following in their own fighters.

“So, General, why’d you pick us?” Lighting asked as they turned toward the mystery ship.

“You three have experienced my mental abilities, even if it was only for a few minutes,” she answered. “And depending on what we find, I may need to link with one or more of you.”

“Link?” Vortex repeated.

“Yeah. It establishes a faster, more direct communication, and it would lend my Force-enhanced reaction times to anyone I link with,” she explained. “Hopefully it won’t be necessary; it takes some getting used to if you haven’t done it before.”

“We’re just taking a closer look at a ship that’s supposed to be one of ours, right?” Thunder pointed out. “Do you really think it’ll be that dangerous?”

“You shouldn’t let your guard down, that’s for sure. I’ve been sensing a weird buzzing in the Force. It could be nothing, and this ship could be perfectly friendly,” she said.

“Or it could shoot us down as soon as we approach,” Vortex guessed. “Great.”

“So what’s the deal with this ship, anyway?” Lightning asked.

“It’s broadcasting as the  _ Persistence, _ but-“ Leilani broke off as the buzzing in the Force suddenly spiked, and the comm units activated.

“ _ Selfless _ to Mantises. Come in, General.”

“We’re here,  _ Selfless. _ Go ahead,” Leilani replied.

“The ship is moving into the system. Should we prepare to engage?”

“Negative. Send them a warning not to get any farther into the system, but don’t tell them we’re coming,” the Jedi ordered. “Vortex, with me. Thunder, Lightning, make a wide sweep and come around behind that ship.” A series of affirmatives came over the comm line, and Leilani reached out through the Force, prodding at the buzzing feeling. The pain mingled with it was now stained with alarm as well. The closer they got, the more she realized that the buzzing wasn’t a premonition, it was something worse. Leilani scanned the ship with her abilities as they approached and found a single Force presence on the ship. She brushed her mind to the new one and found herself overwhelmed by what she found.

_ Pain, confusion, focus, slipping away, tired, hurts, got to stop, not supposed to move, PAIN, no, stop, don’t don’t don’t… _

_ What’s wrong? Why are you hurting? _ The buzzing filled the mind of whoever was on that ship, and it was sharp, agonizing, and completely overwhelming.  _ N _

_ Not in control don’t don’t hurts please don’t –  _ Leilani jerked away from the contact.

“Download! Can your comm officers jam all signals in and out of the system?”

“We can try, General, but-“

“Just do your best,” she ordered. “Vortex, cover me. It looks like that ship has a cargo bay big enough for the fighters. We’re going in. Lightning, Thunder, scan the ship for weapons and take out any you find.”

“On it,” one of them replied.

“General?” Leilani could sense Thunder’s nervousness. “This ship is unarmed, but it’s reading as full of explosives, with only one life-form on board.” The Jedi tensed.

“It’s one big bomb,” she realized. 

“And it looks like it’s on a collision course with the  _ Selfless, _ ” Vortex added. Leilani reached out to the person aboard the vessel again.

_ Don’t don’t don’t… _

_ I know about the explosives. If you turn around, you’ll live, _ Leilani said. Shock, fear, and grief washed over her from the unknown person.

_ Can’t, hurts, can’t change it, don’t make me, don’t want to hurt anyone, hurts, can’t, please don’t… _

“I don’t think the person on there is in control of the ship,” Leilani said. “Which means it’s either being piloted remotely or by a droid. Download, how’s is coming with jamming any signals?”

“We’re working on it, General, but it looks like we won’t be able to do anything unless that ship is closer,” came the reply. Leilani narrowed her eyes at the ship, which was still on its course to collide with the  _ Selfless. _

“We could blow it up before it gets near the  _ Selfless, _ ” Lightning suggested.

“Not before we help whoever is on board,” Leilani replied firmly. “They’re in pain, and this isn’t what they want. I can sense it,” she added.

“But General,” Vortex protested.

“You regroup with Thunder and Lighting. If this ship gets too close to the  _ Selfless, _ blow it up,” Leilani ordered.

“You don’t have enough space for two people in your fighter,” Lightning pointed out.

“Does this ship have escape pods?”

“Yes, but-“

“Then I’ll take one of those. My droid will get my fighter back to the  _ Selfless, _ ” Leilani said. A message from Dee appeared on the screen, but she ignored it. “I trust you, all of you. Do what you have to do.” Then she cut the comm and maneuvered her fighter closer to the ship. She closed her eyes and reached out, getting a feel for the ship in her mind. “Dee, where’s the cargo bay door control?” The droid beeped a reply, and Leilani found the control with the Force. “Thanks.” With a little nudge of Force power, the lock mechanism clicked, and the bay door opened. Leilani guided her fighter inside, noting the explosives lining the walls. The door slid shut behind them, and Leilani opened the cockpit. She hopped out, then made her way to the door connecting the cargo hold to the rest of the ship. Once she was inside, she used another Force push to open the bay door so Dee could get the fighter out.

Leilani frowned at the boxes scattered around the hallway, probably loaded with explosives, but ignored them for the moment. She noted the location of one of the escape pods, then followed the Force presence of the other person on board, and found herself not in the cockpit, but in what seemed like a makeshift med bay.

The room held one bunk, with a man lying prone on it. He was wearing some kind of helmet that crackled with electricity. Leilani grimaced; no wonder she had sensed so much buzzing and pain. She extended her awareness, examining the helmet. If she could just shield the man’s head long enough to remove the thing…

The Jedi looked around, but couldn’t see anything that would block the electricity. She’d have to risk removing it without any insulation. She grabbed the helmet, about to pull it off, but froze in place. A flood of buzzing, pain, and what seemed like random information washed over her.

“What…?” she hissed, yanking the device off the man’s head and dropping it. The buzzing lingered, but the pain and confusion from the man’s consciousness was more prevalent. He didn’t move, didn’t open his eyes, but she could sense his scattered thoughts and emotions.

_ What? Hurts, less…bomb! Have to warn- _

_ Shh, it’s okay. _ Leilani soothed his mind with a wave of calm she didn’t really feel.  _ We’re going to get you out of here, okay? _ She lifted the man with the Force and levitated him out of the room and toward the escape pod.

A sense of urgency from outside the ship caught her attention. She reached out and found Vortex’s mind spilling anxiety into the Force.

_ Vortex? What is it? _

_ General! You have to get out now! Dent is about ready to give the order to destroy the ship! _

_ Relax. I’m almost out, _ she assured him, maneuvering the man into the pod and sealing it behind them.  _ Just be sure to pick me up and tow me to the  _ Selfless, _ okay? _ She hit the ejection button, and the pod disconnected from the ship and shot out into space. A moment later, the vessel exploded.

_ General! _ Vortex wasn’t the only one flooding the Force with worry now.

_ I’m okay. Somebody come pick up this pod, _ she called, brushing each pilot’s mind lightly. The worry faded, and after a few seconds, she heard one of the fighters latch onto the pod. She relaxed and turned her attention to the man she’d brought with her. He still hadn’t moved, and his mind was still a mess of crackling electric agony. But now he seemed calmer, and the buzz seemed fainter with each shaky breath he took.

“You’re going to be okay,” Leilani said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. “No one got hurt, and once you’re on the  _ Selfless, _ we’ll figure out what happened to you, okay?” She was about to retract her hand when the man’s eyes opened. She tensed in surprise; she hadn’t really noticed his face before, but now that he was looking at her, she realized she’d seen him before. Well, not him, since even as mangled by the device he’d been hooked up to as it was, she would have recognized his Force presence if she’d met him before. But she definitely knew someone who looked exactly like him.

“The…bomb?” he rasped, lifting one hand and seizing her forearm in a surprisingly strong grip.

“It’s okay. My pilots took it out before it hit anything,” she assured him. “What’s your name?” His grip loosened, and his hand fell. He was slipping into unconsciousness, his eyes rolling back in his head.

_ What’s your name? _ she demanded, hoping the mental contact would keep him awake.  _ Don’t pass out, just tell me your name. _

“Fractal,” he whispered. Then his eyes closed, and he was out, his Force presence dimming but not vanishing. He was alive, but so deeply unconscious that Leilani wasn’t sure the medical facilities on the  _ Selfless _ would be able to help him. The pod jolted, then opened. They had made it inside the  _ Selfless’ _ s main hangar.

“General!” Vortex, Lighting, Thunder, Scratch, and several clones she didn’t recognize were waiting.

“Get this man to the infirmary immediately,” she ordered. One of the clones she didn’t know stepped forward.

“I’m Stitch, one of the medics,” he told her. “I’ll take him. Thunder, Lightning, help me lift him.” The clones carefully lifted the man out of the pod and onto a waiting stretcher. When the hangar light hit him, though, everyone froze in shock for an instant. Stitch recovered first, and rushed the unconscious man out of the crowded area. The others took a few moments. Their silence was broken when Leilani climbed out of the escape pod.

“General, was that…?” Scratch trailed off, his voice sharp with disbelief.

“Yeah. Yeah, Scratch, he’s a clone,” Leilani confirmed, looking around at the crowd of faces that were virtually identical to the man now in Stitch’s care.


	4. Which Then Turned Into a Quiet Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clone from the bomb ship wakes up.

The next hour or so was a whirlwind. Leilani had to reassure her soldiers that she would find out what happened with the ship full of explosives and the clone on board. Then she checked in with the comm officers, who had finally gotten a response from the admiral. She had to make a report to said admiral, and send a brief, text-only message to the Jedi Council. In both, she asked if there had been any similar incidents, and if any clones going by the name of Fractal had been reported missing. After all, he had to be missing from somewhere, and finding out where he’d come from might help them figure out what had happened to him. Then she headed for the infirmary, where Stitch and another medic were tending to the still-unconscious clone.

“Greetings, General!” the second medic said cheerfully. Leilani was taken aback by the sheer mirth in his voice. “The patient is still asleep, and we’re still not sure what actually happened to him!”

“You sound like that’s the best news you’ve given anyone in a long time,” the Jedi observed warily.

“Chipper’s always like that, General,” Stitch said wryly. “As for your friend from the bomb ship, he’s stable, but he’s unresponsive. It looks like he was connected to some sort of electric brain probe, and the emotional and physical trauma of that could keep him out for a while.”

“If the helmet he had on when I found him was a probe of some kind, that could explain how the ship had the correct codes, and why I got a wave of random information when I disconnected him,” Leilani mused.

“Helmet?” Stitch echoed. “I wish I’d been there. Maybe I could get a better idea of what it might’ve done to him.”

“I could show you what I saw,” Leilani offered. “I can use my Force abilities to show you my memory.” She’d just have to do her best to limit the sensation he got from the memory. She didn’t want to hurt the medic.

“All right. Like I said, it might help me understand,” Stitch agreed. Leilani reached up and lightly touched his temple. The physical connection would make sharing the memory easier for her. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the makeshift med bay she’d found Fractal in, bringing the image up so it hung behind her eyelids. She drained the pain and fear from the memory, but left a shadow of the buzzing in case it would help, then nudged the image along her arm, out through her fingertips, and into Static’s mind. The medic inhaled sharply. “Okay. You can let it go now,” he said after a moment. Leilani released the image.

“You okay?” she asked, studying him carefully.

“I’m fine. But it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before,” the medic replied. “From the electricity in and around the helmet, though, I have a better idea of how to treat him. If he doesn’t wake up by tomorrow, we’ll put him in a bacta tank.”

“I might be able to heal him a bit,” Leilani suggested.

“It can’t make things any worse, right?” Stitch shrugged. “But after you try, you should sleep.” Leilani started to protest, but Chipper cut her off.

“You might be the General, but you still need sleep!” the cheerful medic told her. He made it sound like she’d won a prize.

“Medic’s orders, General,” Stitch added. “A lot has happened today, and even if you are a Jedi Knight, you’re what, fifteen?”

“I’m almost eighteen, actually, and healing someone takes priority over my rest,” Leilani grumbled. Both medics frowned at her, and seeing the unhappy expression on the previously-disturbingly-happy Chipper was unnerving. “Okay, okay, I’ll sleep,” she agreed quickly. “But first…” She leaned over Fractal’s limp form, resting one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest. Her eyes fluttered closed as she stretched her awareness to envelope the unconscious clone. She could sense every heartbeat, every breath, every flicker of energy in him. After briefly scanning his body for injuries and finding minor bruising and scrapes, she turned her attention to his head. There were electrical burns on his head, and his hair – if he’d had any when the helmet had been put on him – was gone. His mind felt worn, so exhausted that she was surprised that he hadn’t just given up and let himself fade away completely.

But there was a spark of determination deep inside him, and Leilani gently brought the Force in to fan that spark and wash away as much of the damage the helmet had done as she could. She wasn’t a good enough healer to direct the Force to heal everything, but she could ease the pain and encourage the man’s body to heal itself faster without putting too much stress on him.

The determination flared brightly, and the dormant mind stirred. Fear lanced through him, transferring to Leilani as she worked to heal him.

 _Fractal! Relax!_ Leilani urged. _It’s okay, you’re safe._ Confusion replaced the fear.

_Who…?_

_My name is Leilani Odelia. I’m a Jedi, a General._ The fear returned in full force. _I’m not going to hurt you, I swear! I’m trying to heal you._ The fear faded to distrust. _When you wake up completely, we’ll talk. Or you can talk to the medics or officers if you don’t want to talk to me,_ she told him. _But we want to know what happened to you. We want to help you._

 _When I wake up?_ Fractal’s bewilderment swirled between them.

 _You’ve been unconscious. I’m speaking into your mind,_ she explained. The fear and anxiety were back. _I swear I’m not reading your mind, stealing your memories, or anything. I’m just healing you and talking._

_Prove it._

_I can’t. But if you don’t want me in your head, even to heal you, I’ll stop,_ she promised. _I won’t force mental contact on anyone who doesn’t want it._ She could sense his hesitation, and sent a wave of understanding to him. _I’ll leave your head. Please get better soon. I want to meet you properly._ Then she retreated, sending one last wave of healing energy to him.

“General?” Stitch said quietly when Leilani’s eyes opened.

“He’s hurting, Stitch, but he’ll recover,” she announced. “If he isn’t conscious by noon, go with the bacta tank. I can’t do anything else for him without going into his mind, which he doesn’t feel comfortable with.” She fought a yawn; the healing had taken a lot out of her, partly because she was trying to heal his mind as well as his body, and partly because healing wasn't where her Force affinities were.

“We’ll take care of him, General. Don’t worry,” Stitch assured her.

“I know.” Leilani smiled, then turned and left the med bay. Once the door closed behind her, she realized she still didn’t actually know where her quarters were. A familiar Force presence told her she wouldn’t have to go far to ask for directions.

“How is he?” Leon was leaning against the wall, watching her intently.

“Asleep, but he’ll pull through,” Leilani replied. “What are you doing up?”

“Waiting for you. Scratch and I were planning to wait up in shifts to make sure you got back to your quarters all right,” he answered. Leilani shook her head and yawned.

“You didn’t have to. I could get one of the night crew to tell me,” she pointed out. Leon chuckled and straightened.

“We wanted to. You’ve done a lot today. Besides, Rufus’s pilots were worried about you,” he added, starting down the hallway, the Jedi keeping pace with him. “They wanted to wait for you to make sure you were okay, but he ordered them to bed, so I promised Scratch or I would do it for them.” Leilani grimaced.

“I didn’t mean to upset them,” she said. “I just couldn’t leave anyone behind if I could save them.”

“They know. They’re also slightly frustrated that you ordered them to stay back where it was safe. They’re soldiers, General. They don’t like being benched,” he told her.

“I wasn’t going to risk them getting hurt or killed because I couldn’t leave someone behind,” Leilani replied, frowning.

“I understand that. And not wanting anyone else to get hurt for your personal goals is an admiral trait. But you have to remember that you aren’t just a lone Jedi Knight anymore,” Leon said quietly. “You’re our General. You can’t put yourself in danger and bench us, then expect us not to be frustrated.” Leilani paused to soak that in. She’d been so caught up in her desire to protect her men because of the connection she felt with them already that she hadn’t considered that they might feel that connection too.

“You’re right,” she agreed finally. “I’ll apologize to them in the morning. You’re all my men now, and while I’m not going to quit protecting as many people as I can, I won’t leave everyone behind to rush off by myself.” Leon grinned, a fierce, proud expression.

“You’ll do well here, General,” he informed her, satisfaction practically oozing from him. Leilani wondered if that was what he used to keep his long hair smooth and shiny. “I look forward to working with you.” He stopped walking and indicated a door. “This is your quarters, by the way.” Leilani blinked; she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going at all.

“Thank you. And not just for walking me to my room,” she added, meeting his gaze steadily.

“You’re welcome, General. I’ll see you bright and early for mental training and drills with the troops,” he added, a wicked glint in his eye.

“How early?” she asked with a sigh, already resigned to probably relying on the Force to replenish her mind in the morning.

“Oh, I’d say you have about five hours to sleep before you have to get up if you want breakfast,” he replied cheerfully. A groan of despair escaped her before she could stifle it, and the Captain laughed at her. “See you in the morning, General.” He saluted, then walked away, leaving Leilani to go into her quarters. The Jedi flopped onto her bed, barely staying awake long enough to unclip her lightsaber from her belt so it wouldn’t dig into her side while she slept.

* * *

 

“So how do you want to do this, General?” Scratch asked, eyeing the mess hall full of soldiers.

“I’d like to do the mental training in groups, so no one misses too many drills or other responsibilities,” she replied. “A unit at a time, maybe?”

“That would work. Any particular unit first?”

“Fourth or Fifth,” Leilani answered immediately. “I don’t know as many of the men in those units.”

“My boys are eager to meet you, General. We’d be happy to start the day off with mental training,” Hawk said as he walked up to them in time to catch the Jedi’s words.

“Fourth Unit it is, then,” she agreed. “If your boys are ready, we can get started any time.” Hawk gave her a salute, then turned to face the soldiers at the tables and let out a piercing whistle to get the men’s attention.

“Fourth Unit, report to the secondary drill room in ten minutes!” he ordered. A chorus of confirmations rose from the men. Leilani smiled and made her way to the secondary drill room, following the map she’d downloaded to her datapad before leaving her quarters that morning. She sat in the middle of the room and closed her eyes, taking a moment to center herself and breathe in the energy around her before spreading her Force awareness over the whole ship. There were more medics in the infirmary, she noted, and Fractal was still asleep, but not as deeply as he had been the night before. Dent and the comm officers were in the command center, and the bridge was bustling with crew members running their morning checks. The primary drill room began to fill up as the other units finished breakfast. Leilani smiled to herself and pulled her awareness tighter, focusing on just the room she was in, and found that Fourth unit had assembled while she’d been scanning the rest of the ship. She counted all twenty soldiers, including Hawk and the pilots she’d met the day before, Divebomb, Whirlybird, and Wingtip.

“Have a seat, men,” she urged, not opening her eyes. She forced her lips not to twitch in amusement as confusion and uncertainty trickled into the Force. “Or you can stand if that’s more comfortable. But I’ve found that for most people, the beginning of learning how to shield their mind is easier when sitting.” Some of the soldiers sat, while others remained on their feet. “I’m going to teach you all how to block Force-sensitives from sensing your emotions, and how to open those shields so you can get my attention if you need to. If at any time you feel uncomfortable with mental communication for any reason, say so. I won’t force contact on anyone.” She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the emotions she could sense; she didn’t want any of the soldiers to think she was singling them out by staring in their direction. After several seconds, she could tell that everyone was settling down. “Let’s begin.”

Leilani taught them the basics of meditation and visualizing shields, then dismissed them, telling them to practice during their workouts and drills so they would be able to use those skills during battle, not just in the relative quiet of practice. Then it was on to the next unit. She kept the lessons short, so she finished with First Unit’s lesson before lunch. As the men filed out of the room, Scratch hung back to talk to Leilani.

“The comm officers heard from the higher-ups,” the Commander said. “Fractal was reported absent without leave after a two-day leave on Kothlis with his legion. He’s a Captain.” Leilani’s brow furrowed.

“Kothlis?” she repeated. “That would make sense, I suppose.”

“But Kothlis isn’t a Separatist world,” Scratch objected.

“It’s a Bothan world, and it’s a hotspot for all kinds of illegal activity,” she explained. “Whoever hooked him up to the bomb ship could’ve grabbed him while he was on leave and his unit would’ve assumed he got lost in the city or wandered outside of it.” Scratch shook his head.

“It’s a theory,” he sighed. “But without the machine he was hooked up to or being able to trace how the ship was being controlled, we have no way to find out what happened until he wakes up.”

“That’s partially true,” Leilani agreed. “But I know someone who might be able to help out.” She grinned and reached out in the Force for the comm officers. Sig from Third Unit was in the command center.

 _Sig?_ she called. The clone tensed, then relaxed when he realized it was just Leilani calling him. His curiosity floated to her through the Force, although he wasn’t as adept as some of the others at forming words to send her. _Could you do me a favor and ask the Jedi Council to have Jedi Master Marva Cathmore contact me?_ Sig’s acknowledgement and willingness to help lit up his Force presence. _Thank you._ Leilani retreated and grinned at Scratch.

“A friend of mine’s Master is a talented spy with an impressive network of informants,” Leilani told him. “Hopefully at least one of them will agree to look into what happened to Fractal starting with his disappearance on Kothlis.”

“The Jedi have spies?” Scratch shook his head in disbelief.

“Of course. We can’t be everywhere all the time, even with the Force. Master Cathmore is an expert in disguises, persuasion, and infiltration, and my friend Jada Nadia is her protégé. We need to have eyes and ears on planets that don’t care for Jedi,” Leilani pointed out. “Sometimes we have to disguise ourselves, or go to a planet where not knowing everything about the situation could be deadly. Master Cathmore’s network of contacts helps with that kind of thing.”

“Makes sense, I guess,” Scratch admitted. “It’s weird to think about, though.”

“Because Jedi should be stoic, mysterious protectors?” Leilani teased. “I hope sometime you get to meet Gavin Nissan. He’s an interesting kid.” Scratch noticed the mischievous look in the Jedi’s eye and shook his head again. He started to say something, then stopped, jaw hanging open.

“Wait. Nissan? We had some Nissan guy try to pass through the system a week or so ago. He was a smuggler,” Scratch said.

“Yep. Gavin’s the oldest son of the Bakura system branch of the Nissan Syndicate,” Leilani replied. “So the smuggler you encountered is probably a distant relative of his.”

“That’s…” Scratch seemed to be at a loss for words. Leilani patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“Like I said, he’s an interesting kid, not that he’s too much younger than I am,” she said. Before either of them could say anything else, someone’s Force presence flared with surprise and relief. A moment later, her comlink beeped urgently. She hit the button to take the communication.

“General Odelia, please come to the infirmary as soon as you can.”

“I’ll be right there,” she promised, then turned it off. “Fractal must be awake.”

“Would you like me to go with you?” Scratch asked.

“That would be good, since he was a little wary of me and my abilities when I tried to heal him,” she told him.

“Maybe we should ask Leon to come with, too,” the Commander suggested. Leilani nodded and reached out through the Force, searching out Second Unit’s Captain.

 _Leon,_ she called.

 _Hello, General,_ he replied, his mind relaxed despite the fact that she could sense he was in the middle of a workout; she could feel an echo of the strain in his muscles through his mind. She considered just letting him get back to what his was doing. After all, surely she and Scratch could handle this. _What can I do for you?_

 _The medics just called me to the infirmary,_ she told him. She could sense the Captain stop whatever exercises he was working on.

 _I’ll be there in a few minutes,_ he said. _Is Scratch on his way, too?_

 _He’s with me. He suggested we ask you to tag along,_ she added.

 _I’ll see you soon, then, General._ Leilani pulled away from the contact.

“Let’s go, Scratch,” she said.

“I’m glad you and Leon are getting along,” the Commander told her casually as they walked toward the infirmary. “He’s relaxed when he knows he can trust the people above him, and he can protect his men, but when General Vite was here, Leon was on edge all the time, really sharp with everyone, and his whole unit seemed to take it personally that we didn’t have a general that Leon approved of.” Leilani stared at the scarred commander, shocked. She’d assumed Leon was like that with everyone, because of how casually he seemed to adjust to her presence.

“Leon is a good man,” she managed. “And he gives really good advice.” Scratch chuckled.

“He does. He’s an older brother figure to pretty much everyone. Even me,” he admitted. More quietly, almost to himself, he added, “Sometimes I wonder why I was chosen as the commander instead of Leon.”

“You’re more distinguished and disciplined,” Leilani answered automatically. “And if Leon really has issues with some of the other generals…”

“True.” Scratch fell silent as they reached the entrance to the infirmary. Stitch was waiting for them in the hallway.

“General. Commander,” the medic greeted them. “Fractal is awake. I was told the comm officers found out where he was stationed before.” Leilani frowned.

“Yes, they did. But shouldn’t he be able to tell you that?”

“I’m afraid whatever machine they had him hooked up to did something to his memories. He knows he was a captain, and his own name, but other than that, a lot of things are hazy. You’ll have to talk to him yourself,” Stitch sighed. “There isn’t much we can do for the memory problems.”

“So he’s awake and an amnesiac,” Leon summarized, walking up to them. His shaggy blond hair was damp, and he wore a gray casual uniform instead of his armor.

“Yes, sir,” Stitch agreed. “He’s having some trouble moving and speaking, so keep that in mind. And I don’t know how long he’ll be able to stay awake for.”

“Can we see him now, then?” Leilani asked. The medic nodded and led them inside. Fractal was sitting up in bed and tried to salute when he saw them, but it seemed that he wasn’t fully in control of his own body, because the motion was slow and awkward.

“At ease, soldier,” Scratch said. Fractal’s gaze flickered over the commander and captain, but there was no real interest in his eyes. Then he saw Leilani, and interest mingled with suspicion sparked in his expression.

“You’re the Jedi?” Fractal asked, his voice rough and slightly slurred.

“I am,” Leilani said. “My name is Leilani Odelia.” Fractal studied her for another moment, then slumped in relief.

“You’re not Bothan,” he rasped.

“No, I’m not. Did a Bothan do this to you?” she asked, moving closer. He lifted one shoulder and dropped it in a half-shrug.

“Not sure. Just…I remember lots of Bothans. Then the buzzing and everything hurt, and then…you were in my head, and then I woke up here,” he said, his words slow and clumsily formed. Fractal scowled, frustrated with his own speech, and Leon paced forward and laid a hand on the other clone’s arm.

“Relax, brother. Take your time. We’re more worried about you getting better than anything,” the Captain said.

“The general is working on finding out what happened to you, so you shouldn’t push yourself too hard to remember information, either,” Scratch added. Fractal glanced between the two officers, seemingly surprised by their words.

“They’re right,” Leilani agreed. “And if there’s anything you need, just let the medics know.”

“Thanks,” Fractal whispered. Leilani smiled.

“We’ll let you rest now,” she said.

“Wait,” Fractal urged. “There’s something…A name. Zeich. I don’t know…what it means. But…”

“Zeich?” Leilani repeated. Fractal nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll let my contacts know. Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out what happened to you, and keep it from happening to anyone else.” Fractal’s eyelids fluttered tiredly, and Stitch helped him lay back down. “Stitch, you’ll let us know if anything changes?” she asked.

“Of course, General,” the medic replied. Then, glancing at Fractal, who was once more asleep, he added, “As his body recovers, his speech and movement should improve. But…”

“You’re worried he won’t be able to go back to his post,” Scratch guessed. Leon was silent, and Stitch nodded.

“We’ll worry about that later,” Leilani said. “For now, we just need to help him heal and find out what happened to him. But…when the time comes, I’ll make sure he isn’t abandoned if he can’t resume his old post. He’s been through enough as it is.” Leon relaxed, a catlike grin crossing his face.

“Let’s go get something to eat, then,” the blond Captain suggested. “I don’t know about you, General, but that mental training stuff was almost as tiring as our normal drills.” Leilani laughed.

“That’s because shields are draining if you’re trying to force them,” she replied. “Once you’re as comfortable and relaxed with shields as you are while you’re in the gym, it won’t wear you out.” Leon blinked, and exchanged surprised glances with Scratch. Leilani hid a proud grin, pleased she had caught them off guard without them seeming afraid or angry. Instead, they seemed amused. “After lunch, if Master Cathmore hasn’t contacted me, I would like to do afternoon drills with some of the men.”

“I think that could be arranged,” Scratch replied, a smile twisting the scar on his cheek.


	5. And Then That Word Grew Louder and Louder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani trains with the 305th, and a visitor from Kothlis arrives.

Leilani’s lightsaber hummed in her hand as she spun it through the air, deftly repelling any blasterfire that came her way. Her mind floated in the vast, rippling energy of the Force, aware of the fire flying through the air. Her troops flanked her, firing steadily, their minds sharp and focused. The droids before them were quickly decreasing in number, but still getting off plenty of their own rounds.

The trooper closest to her was in danger.

“Crash, duck!” she ordered, and the trooper paused, surprised by her words. Enemy laserfire hit his helmet dead center. He yelped and stumbled backwards, getting in the way of his fellow soldiers. There was a clatter of armor and falling weapons. Leilani shook her head and signaled for the simulation to stop. All firing ceased, and she switched off her lightsaber. Crash was sprawled on the ground, along with two of the other troopers, who took their helmets off so they could glare at their brother properly. Leilani took a few steps closer, until she stood over the fallen men. “You’re dead,” she informed them solemnly.

“I’m sorry, General,” Crash said sheepishly. She shook her head.

“If this hadn’t been a simulation, you might have gotten yourself and the others killed for real,” she said. “Why didn’t you duck?” He didn’t answer for a moment. She sighed and smiled, then held her hand out to him. “Come on. We’ve been at it a while. Let’s take a break, okay?”

“Yes, General,” the trooper replied, taking her hand and letting her pull him to his feet. “I really am sorry.” Leilani considered him for a moment, coming to a decision.

“Could you stay for a moment, Crash? The rest of you are dismissed,” she announced. The clones saluted, then set about collecting their blasters and gathering the training droids to be cleaned and set up for the next simulation. Crash stayed where he was, tense, expecting a reprimand. Captain Rufus approached, his scowl and stiff shoulders revealing his opinion of Crash’s performance even before he spoke.

“That was sloppy,” he growled. Crash bowed his head.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Screw up one more simulation, and I’ll put you at the back of the formation – or on desk duty for a month!” Rufus threatened.

“It won’t happen again, sir!” Crash said hastily. Rufus huffed and nodded to Leilani, who had been quiet while the two clones talked.

“General, I apologize. If you’d like to run the simulation again, my men will –“

“Thank you, Captain, but it’s almost time for dinner, and they’ve done well today. They deserve a break,” she said.

“As you wish, General.” Rufus turned and strode away, and Leilani turned back to Crash.

“Walk with me, trooper,” she urged. He followed her out of the simulation room and down the hallway. “This isn’t the first time you’ve accidentally caused casualties in a simulation.” It wasn’t a question, but the clone’s silence was answer enough. “Were you more distracted today than usual?”

“I don’t think so, sir,” Crash replied. “I was trying to do that shield thing at first, but I couldn’t focus and stay with the formation, so I quit.” Leilani tilted her head thoughtfully.

“You did well with the exercises this morning,” she said, remembering that he had managed to shield his mind for a full five minutes before his concentration broke.

“I wasn’t worried about keeping up and not ruining anything then,” he muttered. Then he tensed. “I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have-”

“You were much more relaxed and curious at lunch yesterday,” she interrupted. “More open. Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing,” he replied.

“That’s a blatant lie,” she said calmly. Crash paled, and she added, “I’m not going to make you tell me. But if you need to talk, I’d be happy to listen.” They walked in silence for a moment, Leilani observing the clone from the corner of her eye and Crash seemingly wrestling with himself.

“I wanted today to be the one day that I didn’t screw anything up,” he blurted out finally. Whether he’d won or lost his inner battle was unclear. “Everyone wanted to run drills perfectly today, since it was the first time doing them with you.”

“I noticed that everyone was on edge,” Leilani admitted. “But I don’t have a baseline for anyone here yet, so I didn’t say anything. Maybe I should have.”

“I’m the only one who made a mistake, General. The pressure didn’t affect anyone else,” he told her. “And I always make mistakes. I’m the clumsiest, wildest, most undisciplined trooper in the 305 th .” Leilani considered this for a moment.

“Would a little extra calm and confidence help you?” she asked. “I’m going to run simulation drills with the troops again tomorrow afternoon. If you want, I can help you train yourself to be more collected during battle.”

“You would do that?” Crash stared at her, his surprise evident. “Why? How?”

“We’ll try a variation on the mental exercises we did this morning, since you did so well with them. During mental training tomorrow, don’t worry about shields. Focus on the meditation part, calming yourself. Then, before the simulation, do it again. I’ll give you a little boost to start with, but after a while, you’ll be able to steady yourself completely on your own. It will help you fight more calmly, and hopefully with less distractions and mistakes. But once you’re off the battlefield, you’ll release the meditation and be back to your normal wild, undisciplined self.” She grinned, and he seemed to relax.

“It’s worth a try. Thank you, General.”

“You’re welcome, Crash.” He saluted, then turned and walked back the way they had come. Leilani stretched and debated going through some meditation or lightsaber katas before dinner. Before she could make up her mind, though, her comlink beeped.

“General Odelia here,” she said.

“General, we’ve got someone saying she’s Marva Cathmore on the holo in the command center,” the comm officer told her. “She doesn’t look like a Jedi, though.” Leilani took a second to suppress her amusement before she answered. 

“I’m on my way.” She hadn’t really expected Master Cathmore to get back to her so quickly, but it meant that the Jedi informant probably had the time to look into what had happened to Fractal on Kothlis. Leilani hurried toward the command center.

* * *

 

“Greetings, Odelia,” Marva Cathmore’s hologram said as Leilani stepped up to the holo table. Her hair was cut close to her scalp, and she wore an elaborate vest and a long, flowing skirt.

“Greetings, Master Cathmore,” Leilani replied. “I hope I haven’t inconvenienced you.”

“Not at all. I’ve been stuck here on Thyferra for weeks, since Herring Company was assigned to review the security of the bacta factories here. Jada’s out with Veil Squad and Smoke Squad now, or they’d all be clamoring to say hello,” the older Jedi said cheerfully. Leilani laughed.

“How are Silver and my other Smokes doing?” Leilani asked.

“They’re just fine. Ghost dared Kickstart to steal Jada’s lightsaber, and you know Kickstart is always a sucker for a dare. So they both spent the last week on desk duty handling the paperwork side of our inspections,” Marva told her. Leilani shook her head, grinning so widely that her cheeks were starting to hurt.

“Did Kickstart manage to get Jada’s saber?”

“What do you think?” Marva chuckled.

“I think he tried and probably ended up with a face full of powder foundation or something for his trouble,” Leilani replied.

“Something like that,” the Jedi Master agreed. The two Jedi laughed for a moment. Then Marva grew serious. “So I heard you picked up the 134 th ’s missing captain. His name is Fractal, right?”

“Yeah. He’s been through a lot. I sent a report to the Jedi Council,” she said. “But I’m guessing you’ve already read it and have questions.”

“Of course. My first question is, who’s that lurking behind you?” Leilani didn’t turn to look; she knew exactly which clone was behind her, observing her conversation with the Jedi Master.

“That would be Captain Leon,” she sighed. “He’s awfully relaxed, and apparently nosy.”

“Sorry, General,” came a very unapologetic voice. “I just happened to have a question for Datum, my comm officer, so…”

“So you’re lurking behind me and eavesdropping. Very professional, Captain,” Leilani observed dryly.

“Care to introduce me?” Marva Cathmore broke in. Leilani nodded to the older Jedi and stepped aside to Leon could join her so Marva could get a good look at him.

“Master Cathmore, this is Captain Leon of Second Unit. Leon, this is Jedi Master Marva Cathmore. She’s with Herring Company, and hopefully they’ll be able to help us with figuring out what happened to Fractal,” the Jedi Knight said. Leon saluted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” he said.

“The same to you, Captain,” Marva replied. “As for Fractal, here’s what I’ve managed to put together from the reports I’ve found. His unit was on planetside leave on Kothlis, and he was out with his men the last night before they were on duty again. The Captain told his men he was going back to the  _ Candid, _ the cruiser the 134 th is stationed on, but he never got there. He was sighted in the company of a middle-aged Bothan male with cream fur around midnight, after he left his men. After that, nothing until he showed up on the bomb ship you encountered – which, by the way, was a stolen transport called  _ Strife _ .” Leilani took a moment to process this information quietly. “Your Captain seems to be at a loss,” Marva observed cheerfully. Leilani glanced at Leon, who did indeed seemed slightly dazed.

“You should’ve seen Commander Scratch’s reaction when I mentioned I was hoping you would be able to help,” she replied. “Apparently it’s not common knowledge that there are Jedi with your unique skill set.”

“That’s the whole point of my skill set,” Marva countered. “Once the inspections and security reviews here on Thyferra are finished – which should be tomorrow – Herring Company is supposed to have a few days’ leave. I was thinking that Kothlis is awfully nice this time of year, and so Jada and I might take our troops on a little field trip and visit our Bothan friends.”

“Just don’t let them go off with any middle-aged male Bothans with cream fur,” Leilani said. Her words were light, but Marva nodded solemnly, detecting the worry behind the young Knight’s comment.

“We’ll keep them safe, don’t worry. Who knows? Maybe once we get this figured out, Herring Company can detour past Barab One and say hello in person,” Marva added.

“I’d like that. It feels like ages since I’ve seen your crew,” Leilani replied wistfully. Leon shot her an unreadable glance, which she ignored for the moment.

“It’s only been a few weeks. But I know what you mean.” The older Jedi glanced off to the side, apparently distracted by something on her end. “I have to go. Splice says there’s an incoming transmission from Jada. I’ll contact you as soon as I know more about Fractal.”

“I’ll let you know if I find anything else out, too,” Leilani replied. “May the Force be with you, Master Cathmore.”

“And with you, Odelia.” The hologram winked out of existence, and Leilani sighed and fingered her lightsaber hilt for a moment. She wanted to visit Fractal, tell him that the best information-hunter in the Jedi Order was looking for answers. But she also wanted to take her lightsaber and cut come training droids to pieces, because there was nothing she could do herself.

“General?” Leon’s voice was quiet and serious.

“Hm?”

“You miss that Smoke Squad she mentioned.” It wasn’t a question, but Leilani nodded anyway.

“Smoke Squad was with me on my first mission as a Jedi Knight. Master Cathmore and her Padawan couldn’t act without blowing their covers, so I was sent in to lead their clone troops to handle a situation near Bestine. I wouldn’t have been needed, except the Separatists knew that Herring Company was led by a Jedi. And since I was such a new Knight, I didn’t have any other pressing missions at the time. Smoke Squad was the group that fought with me for the week I was there,” she told him.

“So why were you assigned here?” Leon asked. Leilani shrugged.

“I’ve done a couple short missions since my adventure with Herring Company. But the Council decided my abilities would be best used here, with the 305 th Legion,” she answered.

“So you think you’ll be assigned to us for a while?”

“Oh, yes. I plan to stay with the 305 th for…well, hopefully for the duration of the war,” Leilani admitted. She didn’t say that the Council had assigned her to a Legion and a cruiser because they were worried she didn’t know how to stay in one place, with one group. She didn’t say that they couldn’t afford to keep her stationed at the Temple, so this was the best they could come up with. She didn’t say that since losing her Master just before her thirteenth birthday, she hadn’t felt truly at home at the Temple, or around other Jedi at all really, with very few exceptions. She didn’t say that while she had several friends within the Order, she had never felt more at home than when she had been sent on that mission with Herring Company at the start of the war. She didn’t say that it was because of Smoke Squad that she had requested the Council give her troops of her own if they were going to assign her to a world for an extended period of time.

She needed a home, and it wasn’t going to be the Temple, and the Council knew it. So her request, coupled with their decision that she needed to stay as stationary as possible for a while, had resulted in her being assigned to the  _ Selfless _ and the 305 th .

“Well, we’re glad to have you, for however long you’re with us,” Leon said, drawing her out of her thoughts. 

“Thank you, Captain,” she replied.

* * *

 

The next few days passed in what was becoming a pleasant routine. Mornings were full of mental training with each unit, and afternoons were combat drills. Leilani made time to check on Fractal every day, usually around lunch time. His movements and speech were improving, but his memories didn’t seem to be coming back. Master Cathmore contacted them to say that Herring Company had arrived on Kothlis, but they hadn’t found anything concrete yet.

Leilani knew the names of all of her troops by this time, and knew which soldiers didn’t care for mental communication, and which ones would periodically call out through the Force just to practice. Crash learned quickly, and after just a few drills, his performance improved drastically. The young Jedi Knight reveled in training with her soldiers, in the day to day tasks she had aboard the  _ Selfless. _ She knew the peace couldn’t last, but she also knew that since she and the 305 th were assigned to the Barab system, so trouble would find them, not the other way around.

And find them it did.

_ General. _ Leilani was meditating with First Unit when she sensed Fourth Unit’s comm officer, Flare, call out in the Force.

_ Yes, Flare? _

_ There’s a ship entering the system. It’s a small merchant ship, and it’s not one of ours, _ Flare told her. Leilani was about to point out that Commander Dent was fully capable of handling a stray fighter when Flare continued,  _ It’s a Bothan ship, General. _ Leilani tensed.

_ I’ll be there shortly, _ she told him. As she got to her feet, First Unit collectively paused in their mental exercises.

“Duty calls,” she explained. “Commander?” Scratch nodded and stood. “The rest of you are dismissed.” Leilani hurried to the bridge, Scratch in tow. When they reached the bridge, Dent, Download, and Flare were waiting.

“The ship isn’t responding to our attempts to hail it,” Flare said grimly.

“It entered the system at the same point the  _ Strife _ did,” Download added. Leilani frowned and reached out, even though the ship was too far for her to sense easily. She didn’t expect to feel anything except maybe a distant glow to prove there was a lifeform aboard.

Instead, the Force at the edge of her range in that direction crackled with dark, icy electricity, fierce, angry, even hateful. That energy coiled and crackled around the ship, then appeared to notice her and lashed out. Leilani winced and pulled back, then pushed forward, blocking the mental jabs of dark power and trying to get a sense of who or what was on that ship. But all she could sense at that distance was the sharp electric energy and the fury behind it. She pulled back, deciding she would have to get closer to the fighter and try again. The energy pursued her, the anger suddenly twisted with interest. Leilani shook it off and focused on her immediate surroundings.

“Try hailing them again,” she ordered. “I have a feeling they’ll answer this time.” Dent nodded to Download, who brought up the communication line.

“Unknown ship, this is the  _ Selfless. _ You are in restricted Republic space. Identify yourself,” Dent announced. There was a moment of silence. Then the line crackled.

“ _ Selfless, _ this is the  _ Blemish. _ Please put your Jedi on,” came the reply. The clones glanced at Leilani, who nodded reassuringly before she spoke.

“This is General Odelia. Please state your name and purpose in this system,” she said.

“I’m looking for an acquaintance of mine. He was headed for the Barab system.” The stranger’s voice was low and smooth.

“Give us your name and your friend’s name, and I’ll see if he’s been here,” Leilani replied.

“I don’t think you want to know my name, Jedi,” the stranger said with a chuckle.

“Then you can’t be that worried about your acquaintance,” she countered. She held her breath, waiting for the stranger’s reply.

“Very well. I am Bac’han Fey’yla. I’m looking for a clone captain named Fractal.” Surprise flickered through the Force from the clones around her, but Leilani kept her emotions hidden.

“Captain Fractal was moved to a medical facility, as he sustained serious injury before his arrival in this system,” the Jedi said calmly, ignoring the curious gazes of her troops. “I’ll contact them and see if he’s regained consciousness yet.”

“There is no need for that. If you give me the name of the facility, I will check on him myself,” Bac’han replied quickly. Leilani’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“All right. Give me a moment to check our records.” She signaled to Download, who cut the signal. “Get Marva Cathmore on the line. Tell her there’s a Bothan ship piloted by someone calling himself Bac’han Fey’yla is here, and he’s looking for Fractal. See what she makes of that. In the meantime, I want a list of all medical facilities near this system or near Kothlis that would be reasonable to send someone with Fractal’s initial symptoms to.” Download nodded and turned to his station, while Flare left to find a medic and get the list of facilities. “Dent, if that ship comes any closer, blow it to bits. I don’t trust Bothan craft searching for Fractal.”

“Yes, sir,” Dent answered. “We’ll keep a sharp eye on it.”

“Thank you. Scratch, inform the captains, and have the pilots on standby.”

“General?” Scratch seemed confused.

“I’m fairly sure Fey’yla – if that’s even his real name – is Force-sensitive. I don’t want him to sense me communicating with the troops just yet. His range shouldn’t reach that far, and he probably doesn’t have the sensitivity or skill to figure it out, since he doesn’t seem able to recognize Fractal’s presence among the other clones here, but just in case, I want everyone to keep their thoughts and emotions to themselves,” she told him.

“I’ll make sure they do, General,” Scratch agreed, his expression clearing. Leilani smiled gratefully.

“Thank you, Scratch. I’ll be in the infirmary if anyone needs me. I want to check on Fractal and see if Fey’yla’s name means anything to him.” Leilani left the bridge then, and the Scratch activated his comm to relay the General’s orders.

When she got to the infirmary, Fractal was in the middle of being checked on by Bone, Fourth Unit’s medic.

“General? We heard the orders. What’s going on?” Bone asked, frowning worriedly.

“There’s a Bothan ship looking for Fractal,” Leilani said grimly. “Did one of the other medics get a list of facilities to Flare?”

“Yeah, Patch is conferencing with him now. Are we transferring him?” Bone questioned, nodding to Fractal, who had paled at the mention of Bothans.

“No. But I told the ship’s pilot that we did.” She focused on the clone she’d rescued. “No one is getting near you until we sort this out. Download is trying to get a hold of Master Cathmore, and hopefully she’ll know something about this ship and the person on it.” Fractal bowed his head, accepting her words, but he didn’t look convinced. “He said his name was Bac’han Fey’yla. Does that name mean anything to you?”

“I’m sorry,” Fractal answered hesitantly. “The name sounds familiar, but I have no idea why.”

“It’s all right. How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better. Except I still don’t have many memories,” he told her, seeming a little more comfortable with the change of topic. He’d gotten used to Leilani’s daily visits, and he was more at ease with her presence now. “And Bone and the others keep poking me,” he added ruefully. Leilani grinned, glad that he seemed to be recovering a sense of humor. He’d been so out of it to start with that most of his personality had been hidden.

“It won’t be much longer, and you’ll be out of that hospital bed,” she promised. “Until then, you’ll have to bear with the medics poking you.” Fractal gave her a tentative smile, and she returned the expression as her comlink beeped. She activated it. “General Odelia here.”

“General? It’s Download. Herring Company responded to your information.”

“Did they find anything on Fey’yla?” she asked, glancing at Fractal.

“Yeah. They said he’s well known in the underworld, but by a different name,” Download told her. “General, it doesn’t sound good. He calls himself Darth Zeich.” Leilani froze, her gaze locked with Fractal’s.

“Darth?” she repeated faintly. “That would explain all the anger and power in him. But Darth  _ Zeich? _ Are you sure?”

“That’s what Herring Company said, General. They also said they were on their way here. They were about to follow Fey’yla’s trail off Kothlis anyway,” Download said.

“Thank you, Download. Have Dent on high alert. That ship is a threat, and if it moves into range, terminate with extreme prejudice.”

“Yes, sir.” Leilani cut the signal and turned to Bone.

“Where is Patch?”

“The medics’ office,” he answered, indicating a door at the end of the infirmary. Leilani hurried to the door and knocked.

“Patch, I need to talk to you,” she called. The door opened, and the  _ Selfless’ _ s chief medic looked at her curiously.

“I’m almost done with that list you wanted,” he told her.

“Forget that list. If we give the locations of any of those facilities, we’ll be endangering the clones there,” Leilani replied shortly. “Are there any abandoned medical stations in this area? Any that we can use as a decoy?” Patch blinked a few times, then turned to his computer and began typing briskly.

“I believe so. Let me just check coordinates,” he said. “Here’s one. It’s in an asteroid belt in one of the neighboring systems. No inhabited planets,” he added.

“Perfect. Send the coordinates to the bridge,” she ordered.

“Done,” Patch reported a moment later.

“Thank you.” She returned to Fractal. “You’re safe here, I promise. I have to go back to the bridge. You stay here and get poked some more, okay?” The clone nodded, a slight smile on his lips, eyes unreadable. Leilani activated her comm as she left the infirmary.

“Flare. Did you get the coordinates Patch sent you?”

“Yes, General. Should I send them to our Bothan friend?” the comm officer asked.

“Go ahead. And tell him that it’s a secret, specialized facility, so he may not be able to pick up any life or power readings. And could you have Download fill Herring Company in and have them send everything they have on Fey’yla? Oh, and I’ll need one of the other comm officers in the command center. I need to contact the Temple,” Leilani added.

“Will do, General.” The comm link went silent, and Leilani sighed and headed for the command center. She needed to confer with the Council about this Darth Zeich. She wasn’t going to let the angry, electric power of this Bothan keep her from protecting her people.


	6. 'Til it Was a Battle Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani gets new orders.

Leilani stood before the holograms of Yoda and Mace Windu, stunned and confused.

“What do you mean, I’m not allowed to pursue Darth Zeich? He’s coming after a man who’s currently under my protection. I sent him on a wild goose chase, and he could be back at any time. Master Cathmore and Herring Company are on their way here to rendezvous and back up my troops when Zeich comes for Fractal again,” Leilani reminded them. “It makes sense for me to be allowed to prepare for his arrival and pursue him if he escapes.”

“Personal, for you, this is,” Yoda replied calmly. Leilani frowned.

“Maybe, but I am still in the best position to face him. And I’m stationed on Barab One; as long as I’m here, I’ll encounter him again,” she pointed out.

“Master Cathmore and Herring Company will be taking over the defense of the Barab system,” Windu told her. “The  _ Selfless _ is being reassigned to a more active war zone. You’ve had time to get to know your troops; now it’s time for you to lead them into battle.” Leilani wanted to argue, to fight to be part of the task force to take down Zeich.

“Safer for Fractal, will it be, if not near Barab One, your troops are. With you, he will stay. To Colla Four, will you go.” Leilani nodded reluctantly. At least they were letting her keep Fractal.

“Master Wiguc and her Padawan are there. They haven’t been assigned any clone troops yet, so you’ll take the 305 th and back them up. Negotiations with the Collacoids have broken down,” Windu said. “You’ll need to leave immediately.” Leilani recognized the name, and was relieved that at least she wouldn’t be working with Gin Vite. But she didn’t want to be cut out of the loop on this. She didn’t want to be displaced when she had already laid the groundwork for getting rid of this threat to her men.

“What about the Barabels?” she protested. “Representative Shaka-ka is expecting me to be their connection to the Jedi for quite some time.”

“You’ll return to Barab One once this business with Darth Zeich is taken care of. In the meantime, Master Cathmore can handle the Barabels.” Leilani bowed, using the motion to conceal her expression as she fought not to scowl at the Masters.

“Yes, Master.” The holograms winked out, and Leilani stared at the empty space for a long moment. Then she turned to Datum, the comm officer who had connected the conversation. “Inform Dent of our new orders, if he doesn’t know already. And have Download tell Herring Company. I’m sure they already know, but I want them to hear it from us. “

“All right, General. Is there anything else?” Datum asked. Leilani considered, wrestling to think calmly.

“Scratch should be informed, too, and the captains,” she said. “And if anyone needs me, I’ll be in my quarters.” With that, she turned and left, walking briskly to her small room. Once the door was shut behind her, she unclipped her lightsaber from her utility belt and activated it. The brilliant golden blade blazed comfortingly, and she tuned herself in to the weapon’s hum. After gathering her awareness as tightly around herself as she could, so she wouldn’t risk her emotions bleeding into the Force and affecting the clones, she sprang into motion, whirling through her favorite lightsaber kata, hoping the swift, precise movements would help her clear her mind and control her emotions.

She should be the one waiting for Zeich to return to look for Fractal. She should be the one on Barab One. She should be with Herring Company. She’d been looking forward to seeing Smoke Squad, Jada, and the others again. Now she was heading off to Colla Four, and she didn’t know the Jedi she was going to be working with there. For all she knew, they hadn’t been assigned their own clone troops yet because they were one of the Jedi that didn’t see the soldiers as people.

Leilani was still thinking too much. She moved into the next kata, her lightsaber whipping back and forth so fast that if anyone had been watching, it would have looked like the Jedi was surrounded by a blur of golden light. The exercise helped her focus when taken at a slow pace, but at this speed, she had to put every ounce of her being into controlling her weapon, forming an impenetrable wall of golden light around herself. 

“General?” Leilani froze in the middle of her exercise, and realized she’d been moving through the forms too quickly to be safe. She was panting, and her hair and tunic were damp. She deactivated her lightsaber - she realized she’d forgotten to reduce it to training strength and realized she was lucky she’d frozen when she was distracted instead of fumbling the form and possibly slicing her own hand off - and turned to face the door.

“Captain Leon. What can I do for you?” she asked, successfully clipping her lightsaber to her belt after a few tries. Her fingers were shaking too much for even that simple, familiar task. She really shouldn’t have pushed so hard. The blond captain had a cautious look in his eyes, and Leilani wondered if he had been frightened by her kata exercises.

“We’re about to jump to hyperspace,” he told her. “Datum tried your comm and Flare tried mental communication, but you didn’t respond. So I came to check on you.” Leilani resisted the urge to sigh.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I’ll make sure to be more available,” she said.

“I’m sure Datum and the others would appreciate that,” he replied. His brown eyes scanned her face as though searching for something. “Datum said you seemed upset after talking to the Council.”

“You were told about our new orders, right?” Leon nodded, so Leilani continued, “The Council thinks I’m too personally invested, since I’m the one who rescued Fractal. So they’re sending us to Colla Four to keep me busy.”

“Surely that’s not the only reason,” Leon pointed out.

“Of course not. They have plenty of valid reasons, so I can’t object. The 305 th is as ready as it’s going to get in terms of mental training without live combat, and Fractal will be safer recovering near Colla Four than he will here, where Zeich is sure to come looking for him. And apparently negotiations there have broken down, and the Jedi Master and Padawan there need reinforcements,” she said.

“Who are you trying to convince? Me, or yourself?” Leon asked. Leilani frowned at him.

“You’re too perceptive,” she informed him. Then she sighed. “Honestly, if it weren’t for Zeich, I would be excited for this. I know the troops will get bored without real action, and I want to make sure everyone can keep their shields up during a fight.”

“But you don’t want to leave the Zeich thing unfinished,” Leon finished for her. Leilani nodded. “General, the men are excited about getting a real battle. We haven’t been in many, and Scratch’s scar is a memento for the worst injury the 305 th Legion has had. They’re looking forward to getting to fight beside you for real. You just have to decide which unit you’ll have closest to you.” Leilani blinked; she hadn’t thought about it.

“We’ll see what the situation is when we get there,” she said. Leon gave her an offhanded salute, and she smiled a little.

“Thanks, Leon.”

“Anytime, General,” he replied. “Oh, Download said to tell you he got the file on Zeich from Herring Company, and Smoke Squad said for him to pass along a message.” Leilani tilted her head curiously, and Leon answered her unspoken question. “They said they’ll bring you a tuft of the Bothan’s fur as a souvenir.” Leilani laughed out loud, and Leon seemed relieved, if a bit confused.

“Skritt – their comm officer – likes to collect trophies,” she told him. “Captain Silver is always trying to get rid of them, but Skritt keeps finding new ones. It’s a bad habit, but it makes him happy, so Silver couldn’t bring himself to formally punish him. I think Silver gave up a little after my mission with them, actually.” She smiled softly.

“Well, you’ll have to collect some sort of trophy on Colla Four to send to him in exchange for the Bothan fur,” Leon suggested. Leilani snickered.

“As long as Master Wiguc isn’t too much of a stickler for rules,” she replied. “Material possessions are something a lot of the older Jedi frown upon.”

“Oh! That reminds me, Download has a file for you on General Wiguc and her Padawan. Scratch kind of paled when he saw the Padawan’s name,” Leon added.

“Oh? What’s the name?” Leilani asked.

“General Wiguc’s Padawan is one Commander Nissan. Eaves mentioned that you know him,” Leon said, his tone curious. “He’s not related to that smuggler we ran into before you were stationed here, is he?” Leilani felt a mischievous expression cross her face.

“Actually…” Suddenly, she was feeling better about going to Colla Four. Maybe she wouldn’t get to see Jada again, but seeing Gavin would be just as good.

* * *

 

The  _ Selfless _ arrived in the Colla system and immediately dispensed its entire compliment of gunships to the surface. Colla Four was a forested world, so it took some time to find a clearing large enough for the gunships to land in that was close to Wiguc’s last known coordinates. As the ships descended, Leilani reached out with the Force, searching for her fellow Jedi. She found a mind swirled in dusk, a veritable bonfire of life energy shrouded in cool shade. It wasn’t a mind she knew, but she suspected it was Master Wiguc. Beside that mind was the bright, eager mind of a young man Leilani knew well.

_ Gavin Nissan, you haven’t kept in touch since becoming a Padawan, _ Leilani murmured. Surprise followed immediately by excitement burst from the young human’s mind.

_ Leilani! They didn’t tell me you were coming! _ Gavin exclaimed.

_ I brought some new friends, too. We’re about a klick north of you. Come and say hello, _ Leilani invited.

_ We will! _ Gavin pulled away from the contact to talk to his Master, so Leilani pulled her awareness back to her own troops. The snipers were perched on the wings of the gunships, keeping watch on the surrounding forest. The scouts were clustered in the center of the clearing, glancing from the trees to their General and back, anxious to explore their surroundings.

_ Hiss, _ Leilani called, focusing on one of First Unit’s scouts.  _ The other Jedi will be joining us shortly. Please tell your fellow scouts that once we have a situation report from General Wiguc, I’ll send you all out to romp in the woods. _

_ Yes, General. _ She saw Hiss start to talk to the other scouts, and turned to take inventory of the rest of her troops. The troopers, demolition, and bomb disposal groups were clustered in and around the gunships, chatting and checking over their weapons. The medics were conferencing near the scouts, and the comm officers were moving from clone to clone, double and triple checking everyone’s comm links.

“How long until the Jedi get here?” Rufus asked. Leilani shrugged.

“They’re about a klick to the south. If they enhance their speed with the Force, they could be here in ten minutes. If they don’t, it could be fifteen to twenty.” Third Unit’s Captain shook his head and stomped off toward the gunship with the fewest clones around it.

“He’s even grouchier than usual,” Hawk observed. Leilani glanced around for the other captain and found him perched on the edge of the nearest gunship’s wing, legs dangling over carelessly. Rom was standing under the same wing.

“That’s just his way of showing that he’s excited,” Leon said lazily from where he was leaning against another gunship’s side. Hawk snorted incredulously, and Rom shook his head.

_ Movement to the east. _ The warning came from Fusil, one of Fourth Unit’s snipers.

_ Slink, Print, Guise, slip into the forest to the east. Fusil reported movement. Don’t be seen, and report back as soon as you find something,  _ Leilani ordered. The three scouts’ Force presences lit with excitement and determination, and they broke away from the rest of the scouts, splitting up and slipping into the forest.  _ Fusil, keep an eye on that movement. Scope, Crosshairs, Falcon, track Slink, Print, and Guise through the trees as long as you can, _ she added, addressing the snipers with the most targeting and zoom equipment. By this time, almost all of her troops had decided that using mental communication, especially in a situation like this, where the enemy could be hidden by the terrain and potentially listening in on comm links, was faster, easier, and less risky, at least along short distances. The snipers and scouts especially preferred silent mental reports to verbal reports over the comms.

Print’s Force presence flared, and Leilani focused on him.

_There were droids here recently,_ Print reported. _A scouting group of three or four._ _They should be south of me._

_ Thank you. Follow their tracks, but keep your distance, _ Leilani ordered.  _ Don’t get out of comm range. _

_ Sir, yes sir! _ Print replied happily. Leilani shifted her focus south slightly, to where Slink was.

_ Print says there should be a scouting group of droids near you, _ she told him.

_ Three of them, just ahead. I was about to tell you, _ Slink answered.

_Thank you._ _Be on standby for sniper cover._ Leilani shifted her attention again, this time to the snipers. _Slink has three droids near him. If you get a shot, take it. Slink will clean up anything you miss._

_ I never miss, _ Clip objected. A moment later, three shots left the snipers’ positions.

_ Droid destroyed, General, _ Slink reported a moment later.

_ No more movement, _ Fusil announced.  _ I think we’re clear. No sign of enemy movement. _

_ Good job, _ Leilani congratulated them.  _ Slink, Guise, Print, regroup and return. _ After receiving their acknowledgements, the Jedi smiled and let her Force awareness fade to the back of her mind. She would know if any of her troops needed her, but she wasn’t actively communicating with any of them.

A few minutes later, the snipers called out again, this time reporting a Twi’lek woman and a human teenager in Jedi robes approaching from the south. Leilani walked to the south end of the clearing, Leon and Scratch on either side of her. Hawk hopped from gunship wing to gunship wing, maintaining his high ground, while Rom trailed behind them. Rufus didn’t join them, instead staying where he was, watching the other clones but not talking to them.

“You must be General Odelia,” the Twi’lek said as she approached. Her skin was lavender, flecked with black on her cheeks, lekku, and shoulders, and she wore a sleeveless tunic with leggings, her cloak draped over one arm instead of wrapped around her. “I am Master Ayeh’wiguc. You may call me Master or General Wiguc.” Leilani bowed respectfully in reply to the formal introduction.

“It’s good to meet you,” the younger Jedi said. “If you could fill me in on everything that’s happened-“

“Leilani!” The human teenager, cloak flapping behind him, ran up to the older human and flung his arms around her. She laughed and returned the hug, surprised to find that he was taller than her by several inches.

“You grew, youngling!” she exclaimed, pulling back and eyeing the tall Padawan.

“He grows like a weed. I’ve had to request new boots from the Temple three times in the last two years,” Wiguc said, fondness washing away a bit of the formality. “I knew you two were acquainted, but I didn’t realize how well.”

“Gavin and I were friends as younglings, and even once I became a Padawan,” Leilani explained. “We’ve lost touch the last few years, though.”

“In that case, you may call me Ayeh,” the Twi’lek replied. “There will be time for catching up later, though.”

“Right. As I was saying before this giant here interrupted me, if you could tell me what all has happened, we can work on a plan for dealing with it.” Gavin shot the Knight an offended look when she called him a giant, but didn’t say anything about it.

“I agree. Will your clone officers join us?” Ayeh asked. Leilani nodded and turned to her officers.

“Hawk, get down from there and go find Rufus and get him and Rom over here,” she ordered. Fourth Unit’s Captain saluted, then went back the way he came, still on the tops and wings of the gunships. “Hey! If you fall and break your leg, I’m telling Bone I already warned you!” she called. The captain waved to show he’d heard but didn’t relinquish his high ground. Leilani shook her head.

“One day he’s going to get hurt doing stuff like that,” Leon muttered.

“If he does, maybe you should ask Chipper to keep him company,” Scratch suggested.

“That’s not nice,” Leilani admonished. Then she noticed Gavin and Ayeh were watching them with nearly identical amused looks. “Sorry about that. General Wiguc, Commander Nissan, this is Commander Scratch of First Unit and Captain Leon of Second Unit.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Ayeh said. The two clones saluted.

“This way, General, Commander,” Scratch stated. “The scouts have probably started clearing an area if you want to use the ground to sketch a map or anything.”

“Good thinking. Master Ayeh  _ loves  _ dirt. And maps. And dirt maps,” Gavin said, grinning.

“You’re a cheeky Padawan. You’ll be lucky to survive to your Trials,” Ayeh muttered. Gavin’s grin just widened.  

* * *

 

“The Colicoids have made some nasty droids before, but they’ve been working on a new prototype recently. That’s what Gavin and I were sent here to negotiate with them about. The few working units they have are being tested here, away from the inhabited areas,” Ayeh said, pointing to the location on the holomap of the area she and Gavin had apparently been updating as their time on Colla Four continued. “The Droidekas were designed and produced by the company that’s been developing the new prototype, the Colicoid Creation Nest. We were trying to negotiate for the new droids – they’re called Annihilators, by the way – to only be produced in small numbers, and only for use on Colla Four itself.”

“Annihilators?” Leon repeated. “How charming.”

“Yeah. Turns out the Colicoids aren’t fond of Jedi. At all. So Master Ayeh and I were here as representatives of the Republic, but we didn’t tell them we were Jedi,” Gavin said. “I think when the Separatists showed up wanting to buy some Annihilators and told them we were Jedi, it made things a lot worse.”

“The Colicoids are in talks to officially join the Separatists now,” Ayeh added. Leilani frowned.

“If they’re joining the Separatists, we don’t have jurisdiction here,” the young Knight pointed out. “And getting any more reinforcements will be next to impossible.”

“That’s why we have to either persuade them not to join, or destroy as many droid factories as we can before we have to leave,” Ayeh replied firmly.

“And the Council approved both paths?” Leilani questioned. Ayeh raised an eyebrow. “I mean no disrespect, Master.” The Twi’lek nodded.

“The Council left the decision of how to proceed up to us,” she assured the younger Jedi. “Given the Colicoids’ attitudes the last time we saw them…”

“The bugs are ready to chase us off their planet, Separatist allies or not,” Gavin finished. Leilani turned to her officers.

“Well, boys?  Want to blow up some droids?” she asked.

“Of course, General,” Scratch replied. Leilani grinned.

“All right, then. Ayeh, Gavin, have you two had a chance to scout the factory?”

“We have. There is a clearing here that is large enough for the gunships,” Ayeh told her, indicating the location on the holomap. “It would be faster to move everything and attack from there.”

“Agreed. What about blueprints of the factory?” Leilani asked.

“Got ‘em,” Gavin replied. “Here.” He tapped a button on the portable projector, and the holomap was replaced by a hologram of the factory. Leilani reached out through the Force.

_ Bang, Clap, Fireball, Bull, Blistmok, Dweebit, Ash, Mine, Shrapnel, come here and take a look at this. _ All nine clones had various specialties in bomb-making or other demolition-related pursuits. Granted, Dweebit preferred gas dispersal devices, but since droids were immune to poison, he was a fair hand with other potentially useful devices too.

“What can we do for you, General?” Clap asked as he approached with the other.

“We’re going to take out this factory. They’re testing some new droid called an Annihilator that they could sell to the Separatists,” Leilani informed them. “I want you guys to study the data General Wiguc and Commander Nissan gathered and figure out the best way to destroy it.”

“Commander Nissan?” Shrapnel repeated. “You mean like-“

“Yes, like the smuggler from before I showed up,” Leilani confirmed before he could finish his question.

“Smuggler? Which one?” Gavin asked.

“Shrav Nissan,” Scratch answered.

“Oh! He’s a distant cousin of mine. What was he smuggling?”

“Not now, Padawan,” Ayeh chastised. Gavin grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, Master.” Leilani considered commenting, but a fierce debate rose from the demolition experts at that moment.

“We need lots of fire to melt the machinery that doesn’t get blown all the way to bits,” Fireball was arguing.

“No, we need a concussion blast to scatter everything. They’ll spend time salvaging instead of rebuilding,” Clap countered.

“I think we should use acid, at least near the computers,” Dweebit said with a frown.

“I’m with Fireball,” Blistmok announced.

“Troopers!” Leilani snapped. All nine paused and turned to her. “We don’t have the time or equipment for anything fancy. Take inventory of what we have down here already, and form a plan based on that.” They all nodded reluctantly.

“It would be more fun if we had more to work with,” Fireball sighed.

“Next time, Fireball,” Leilani promised. “Let me know when you have a plan.” The demolition crew went back to their planning, and Leilani returned her attention to her officers and fellow Jedi. “Now, we’ll need to handle any guards or other defense systems and make sure they’ve got time to take the factory down.”

“Most of the defenses are automated,” Ayeh said. “Gavin and I can slip in and deactivate them if you and your troops can keep the droids off us.”

“We should send some of the bomb-happy crew with you. That way they can get started as soon as possible,” Leilani said thoughtfully. “Scratch?”

“I’ll take First Unit and go with the General and Commander,” he replied. “Fireball, Bang, and Clap can probably handle whatever they all come up with.”

“Sounds good. Ayeh? Gavin?” Leilani glanced at her fellow Jedi.

“It’ll be good for Gavin to learn how to fight alongside clones,” Ayeh replied. “We’re supposed to be assigned a legion of our own soon.”

“That settles it. Once Clap and the others have a plan, we’ll load up the gunships and move to that other clearing you mentioned. I’ll lead a frontal assault and draw the guards and droids away. You guys can work around to another side of the factory and take it down,” Leilani said. Everyone nodded their agreement.

“General!” Shrapnel called. “We’ve got a plan to blow the factory off the face of the planet!” Leilani grinned.

“Can three people handle it?” she asked, walking over to them.

“Yes, General,” Ash replied.

“Excellent. First Unit will be infiltrating the factory, so Bang, Clap, and Fireball will be taking care of setting the charges. The rest of you, report to your captains and we’ll head out.” The demolition experts saluted, then dispersed. Leilani took a deep breath. This was it: their first real battle together. “Let’s move out, men!”


	7. I'll Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 305th's first battle

Leilani paused at the edge of the forest’s concealing shadows and surveyed the open space between them and the factory. She reached out through the Force and found only a few presences inside the structure. Only a skeleton crew of Colicoids was there, which meant the number of lives lost would be lower.

_ Nek, _ she called out.  _ Are you ready? _ Nek, who had a fondness for large, flashy weapons, had been outfitted with a grenade launcher for this mission, for which he had two types of ammunition at present: gas grenades from Dweebit that would knock out the Colicoids inside the factory without affecting the Jedi and clones as they infiltrated, and Blistmok’s “extra-fiery” grenades for targeting large groups of droids. Nek’s reply wasn’t a distinct set of words; instead, he broadcast a sense of eagerness and determination.  _ All right, then. Think you can get rid of those two canons on the roof before they notice us? _ Leilani got the impression that if the trooper hadn’t had his helmet on, he would have turned and given her a slow, confident grin. He wasn’t cocky like some of the troopers; he knew his limits. He just also knew that this was well within those limits.

Nek nodded to Blistmok, who loaded one of the fiery grenades into the launcher. The demolition expert stepped back, and the trooper lifted the weapon to his shoulder, aimed, and fired. As soon as the projectile left the barrel, before they knew if it would hit its target or not, Blistmok moved forward, reloaded the launcher, then stepped back again. Nek aimed and fired once more. The first explosion took out one of the rooftop canons as the second grenade launched. As the other canon swiveled to target the area the grenades had come from, the second landed at the base of the canon and blew the weapon to bits.

A fierce rush of satisfaction flowed out from Nek and Blistmok both, and Leilani hid her amusement.

_ That’s not all you’ve got, is it? _ Both clones took a moment to turn their helmets toward their General, and she could picture the nearly identical expressions of indignation they surely wore beneath those t-shaped visors.  _ Sorry, sorry. Please continue. _ They did so, and the third grenade landed in the midst of the cluster of droids that emerged from the main entrance, weapons ready and searching for the attackers still hidden in the forest. The fourth and fifth were loaded by Dweebit, and launched through the now-open entrance. A moment later, Leilani sensed alarm from the Colicoids inside the factory as they noticed the main area filling with gas.  _ One more. That main room is big, _ she told them. Another gas grenade followed the first two as grogginess mingled with and then overwhelmed the alarm she sensed. She waited a moment, checking that each Colicoid had collapsed, alive but unconscious. Then she reached out to the minds of the captains and gave them each a gentle nudge. With her troops signaled, she stepped out of the tree cover and ignited her lightsaber. The droids that had survived the grenade blast, now joined by a second wave of defenders, had already started marching toward Nek’s position. Now, with a Jedi nearby and flaunting her presence, they shifted their focus and began firing at her.

Leilani spun her lightsaber, a sharp satisfaction shooting through her as she easily deflected the laserfire back at the droids. Several fell as they continued to advance, obviously thinking they could overwhelm her with numbers. They’d apparently forgotten about those grenades, and the fact that the Jedi might not be alone. Leilani lifted her comm link to her mouth, lightsaber humming as she continued to deflect enemy fire.

“Scratch, Master Ayeh, we have their attention. Captains, let’s make this a real party,” she announced. A moment later, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Units emerged from the forest, blasters spitting laserfire at the droids. Leilani knew the snipers, along with Nek, Blistmok, and Dweebit, had stayed back, hidden among the trees, so they could take down any targets they chose as the battle progressed.

_ Ready to take down some clankers, General? _ Crash was beside her, the calm shell resulting from his pre-battle meditation encasing his eagerness and nervousness.

_ Of course, _ she replied.  _ Let’s go. _ She darted forward, Crash and the other Third Unit troopers beside and behind her. As they reached the first line of droids, Jump leaped and planted his foot in a droid’s chest. The beige machine went down with a mechanical wail. The trooper finished if off with a single shot to the head, then raised his blaster and took down three more before they could react to his presence. As they began to focus their fire on him, however, Trig charged in, a small blaster pistol in each hand, firing constantly. He wasn’t the best shot, but the sheer number of shots he got off took down four of the droids who had started firing on Jump. Then came Crash, Jang, and Bimmi, moving in an arrow formation, plowing their way through the droids. Leilani darted to the side and began cutting her own path through the machines, lightsaber whirling, deflecting enemy fire and slicing through the droids’ armor easily. Within moments, those droids had been dealt with, and the young Jedi took a moment to scan her troops. Chev, from Fourth Unit’s bomb disposal trio, was feeling grumpy. Leilani focused on his presence, searching for injuries. Pain radiated from the clone’s ankle, and Bone was crouched beside Chev.  _ Bone, what happened to Chev? _

_ He tried to dodge and kick at the same time, and twisted his ankle. _ Amusement and irritation radiated from the medic. Leilani shook her head, glad that the injury wasn’t serious, but unsure how to feel about its cause.

_ Thanks,  _ she said, retreating and widening her awareness. Bacc, Fifth Unit’s medic, was with Bayonet, a Fifth Unit trooper, and Shrapnel.  _ Bacc? _

_ They’ll live, General, _ Bacc replied before she even had a chance to take inventory of any injuries Bayonet and Shrapnel had.  _ Bayonet got hit in the stomach, but his armor took most of the damage. Once we get him back to the infirmary, he’ll heal up good as new. Shrapnel was helping him to cover and got shot in the leg. He’s fine too. _

_ Thank you, _ Leilani whispered.

“General! There’s another wave coming!” The Jedi whirled toward the factory. A cluster of droidekas was rolling toward them.

_ Nek! Blistmok! Take them out before they get any closer! _ Leilani ordered. The two didn’t bother acknowledging the order, just loaded, aimed, and fired. Half of the droidekas vanished in a wave of dirt and flame as the grenade hit the ground just in front of them. The other half rolled up onto their stabilizers, shields popping into existence around them. Leilani brought her lightsaber up and deflected bolt after bolt of laserfire as two of the droids decided she was their target. The other three were firing at the clones, who scrambled for cover – except the medics and their injured charges. Leilani saw one of the droids take aim at Bacc, Shrapnel, and Bayonet, and launched herself into the air, using the Force to propel and guide her leap.

She landed between her troops and the droids, now targeted by three of the five enemies. Her mind raced as she moved her lightsaber in a defensive pattern. She had to get rid of those droids somehow, before they noticed Bone and Chev, too. Movement accompanied by a surge of determination caught as much of her attention as she could spare from defending the three clones behind her. Three of the clones were working their way behind the droids: Beetle, Anooba, and Borcatu, the Fifth Unit scouts. Shadow, Infra, and Pace from Second Unit were approaching from the other direction. Leilani frowned to herself but didn’t want to distract them by calling out mentally to ask what they were doing.

All six scouts found new relatively protected positions behind the droids, then fired. For a moment, Leilani was confused. The laserfire bounced harmlessly off the droids’ shielding, but then the droids began to turn to face their new adversaries, and she understood.

“Now, Captain!” Shadow shouted over the comms. With a determined growl, Leon darted from his own cover, Ash and Mine flanking him. Each clone held a round grenade in one hand and their blaster in the other. As soon as they were within range – an unnervingly short range, in Leilani’s opinion – all three men dropped to their knees and calmly rolled the grenades forward. The devices rolled along the ground, not quickly enough to be effective against moving droids. Instead, they were slow enough that they moved below the minimum rate that would be deflected by the droidekas’ shields. The grenades gently rolled inside the spheres of energy, and the three clones threw themselves back and to the ground. Three simultaneous explosions inside three of the droidekas’ shields blasted three of the droids into scrap.

Two more. These droids seemed to be caught between firing on the scouts, pursuing the Captain and two demolition experts, and returning their attention to the Jedi. Leilani didn’t wait for them to make a choice. Instead, she reached out with the Force and gripped a large bit of debris from the rooftop canons and pulled it with all her might, guiding it to fall onto the droidekas without hitting any of her men. The shields couldn’t withstand the heavy blow, and the last two droids were crushed.

Leilani glanced over her shoulder and saw that Stitch had joined Bacc, and the two medics were helping Shrapnel and Bayonet toward the safety of the forest. Meanwhile, Bone was doing the same for Chev. The young Jedi relaxed and moved toward Leon and the others.

“That was reckless,” she called as she approached. “But it worked, so I guess I can’t complain much.” Leon sat up from where he’d been laying after throwing himself clear of the grenades’ radius and stretched, and she knew he was probably grinning lazily beneath his helmet.

“We had to show off for our General in honor of our first big battle,” the Captain explained. Leilani shook her head.

“You’re impossible,” she informed him.

“Thank you, sir,” Leon replied cheerfully. “Alright, men, let’s get some distance away from the factory and check in with our infiltration and destruction team.” The clones moved back toward the forest, and Leilani expanded her awareness, searching for First Unit and her fellow Jedi.

_ I can feel you searching. _ The thought was Gavin’s, broadcast as he sensed what she was doing.

_ Are the charges set? Were there any casualties? _ Leilani demanded.

_ We’re done, and clear. Ready to detonate on your signal, _ the Padawan answered.  _ There’s a bit of scuffed and scorched armor, and probably a few bruises, but other than that everyone is fine. _

_ Good. Everyone on my end is- _ Leilani broke off as one of the Force presences inside the factory stirred.  _ The Colicoids are still inside. _

_ Master Ayeh says it’s up to you whether to wait until they’re clear or not, _ Gavin told her. Leilani started to tell him to let the Colicoids out, although she worried they would have the knowledge to produce more prototypes of the Annihilators, when a flare of lethal intent spiked in the Colicoid who had stirred. Leilani focused on the insect-like creature’s mind, trying to see what it intended.

As soon as she realized what it was going to do and caught a glimpse of the devastation it believed those intentions would unleash, she yelled through the Force to Gavin, Ayeh, Bang, Clap, and Fireball.

_ Blow it up! Blow it up right now! It’s going to activate the Annihilators! _

“Get into the trees!” she ordered the troops around her. “It’s going to blow!” The clones broke into a sprint, and Leilani darted after them. Just as she reached the tree line, the factory behind her exploded, the concussion blast throwing her troops off balance. A wave of heat rolled over them, and for a moment Leilani worried that the forest might catch fire. That worry passed after a moment, and the sound of debris raining down replaced it with the fear that her troops would be his by bits of factory and droid. It took several seconds for the debris to settle, but when it did, Leilani lowered the arm she’d thrown up to protect her face and stepped to the edge of the forest, scanning the wreckage of the factory for any movement. There was no way the Annihilators and that Colicoid had survived.

Except a piece of the rubble shifted, and a huge, mantis-like droid covered in black armor dulled by dust rose from what was apparently a protective cocoon-like pod. Then another one straightened. And another and another. Leilani stared in disbelief.

“Are those…?” Hawk’s question trailed off as the droids shifted their stabilizers and lifted their arms…or rather, the huge canons they had in place of arms.

“Yeah. They’re the Annihilators,” Leilani whispered. The monstrous droids stood on four pointed legs, a towering torso rising from the point where those legs joined. On either side of that torso was a huge arm composed of two laser cannons. A single, glowing red eye gleamed in the center of the top half of the torso. Shields flickered into being around two of them, while the other two didn’t seem to have shields.

“General?” Leon was beside her. Leilani swallowed her anxiety and turned to face her troops.

“Medics, stay here with the injured. We don’t know what these droids are capable of. Snipers, see if you can pick out any weak points. Joints, maybe that eye they’ve got. Focus on the two without shields first. If anyone thinks they’ve figured out a weak point, say something. The rest of you-“ Leilani broke off as the Annihilators fired. She whirled, expecting them to have noticed and targeted the troops around her. Instead, they were firing toward the far side of the factory ruins, where two lightsaber blades were visible, one purple and one golden. The golden one, a shade away from her own blade, she recognized as Gavin’s. The purple one had to be Ayeh’s. “The rest of you, let’s take advantage of the fact that First Unit and the General and Commander seem to have distracted them.” Leilani started to move forward, her gaze fixed on the four droids, but a sense of foreboding washed over her, drawing her attention to a cluster of troopers that had rushed out, trying to flank the droids. She reached out and recognized their presences: Flash, Fidget, Eaves, Frost, and Blaze, First Unit’s troopers. One of the droids shifted its stabilizers, rotating its whole body to keep its canons trained on the five troopers.

_ Get out of there! _ Leilani shouted as the cannons unleashed a barrage of rapid laserfire. Her mind reached theirs as the area around the five troopers erupted, spewing dust, rock, white-armored clones, and a single lizard into the air. Pain and fear ripped through the Force, her awareness tied to the five clones she had tried to warn. She stumbled and fell to one knee, and her lightsaber fell from her fingers as she gasped, fighting to stay afloat in the flood of emotion and darkness. Five blips of pain and fear, five points of agony for the Jedi still connected to them. Then there were only four.  _ Blaze! _ She screamed into the void in the Force where his mind had been an instant before.  _ Blaze, no!  _ One of the other blips wavered.  _ Frost, hold on! Please, Frost, don’t die on me! _ The flickering presence, filled with pain, swirled with regret, pulled away from her contact.

_ Sorry, General… _ Then Frost was gone.

_ No! Frost! _

“General!” A hand on her shoulder and worried voices around her pulled her away from the three remaining troopers’ presences. Crash was shaking her gently. “General, are you okay?” Leilani bit back a whimper.

“Frost and Blaze are dead,” she whispered, grief welling in her throat.

“Then we’d better take those clankers down quick,” Crash replied, broadcasting his own emotions. Leilani expected fear, sorrow…but not determination and vengeance. “Before we lose anyone else.” The young Jedi took in the clone’s determination and held onto it.

“You’re right.” Leilani looked around for her lightsaber, only for Crash to hold the weapon out to her.

“I saw you drop it,” he explained. She took the weapon gratefully and stood, activating it and listening to the hum for a moment, pushing her grief to the back of her mind.

“Thank you, Crash. Let’s go,” she said, cautiously reaching out to check on her troops, who had taken cover in the rubble and were firing on the Annihilators. The droid that had killed Frost and Blaze now had a determined Twi’lek perched on top of it. Ayeh appeared to have driven her lightsaber through the droid’s armor.

“The plasma lines are exposed!” someone yelled over the comm link. “It’s like the inside of our cannons, but these don’t have any armor over them!” Leilani recognized excitement in the presence of Shell, one of Second Unit’s troopers. He seemed to be the one who had noticed the exposed plasma lines, and was now charging toward the second unshielded droid. As he dodged its stabilizers, trying to get a clear shot at the line, he didn’t noticed that one of the shielded droids was targeting him.

_ Shiner! Sprint! Cover Shell! _ Leilani ordered, focusing on two more of Second Unit’s troopers. They charged forward, firing rapidly, trying to distract the shielded droid. Shell paused, noticing the shielded droid’s cannons aimed at him, and ducked behind the pointed leg of the unshielded droid he was trying to take down.

Unfortunately for Shell, the unshielded droid chose that moment to turn, its stabilizers lifting one at a time and slamming down again, rotating the huge droid. Shell yelped and tried to dodge the moving stabilizers, but one of them caught his hip and sent him flying. The shielded droid fired at soon as the clone hit the ground.

_ Shell! _ But the clone’s mind had already vanished. By now, all of the troops were clustered around the Annihilators, firing in turns, trying to keep them turning, keep them distracted. The droid Ayeh had stabbed fell, and she Force-leaped clear. Meanwhile, the snipers had heard Shell’s advice and were targeting the exposed plasma line on the second unshielded droid.

As Leilani and Crash reached the others, the Jedi eyed the shields warily.

_ Leon, _ she called.  _ Do you have any more of those grenades you used on the droidekas? _ For a moment, the Captain seemed confused. After all, the Annihilators were too high off the ground for the grenades to be effective.

_ Yes, but… _

_ Have someone get one to Commander Nissan, _ Leilani ordered.  _ And keep those droids distracted. _ She felt his agreement, then searched for Gavin’s Force presence.  _ Hey, giant! Want to show off your Force skills? _ Curiosity welled in the Padawan, who was currently standing over the injured Eaves, Fidget, and Flash. Ash worked his way toward the Padawan, grenade in hand.  _ Once you have that grenade Ash is about to hand you, roll it under the Annihilator’s shields, then lift it to the plasma lines before the thing detonates. Can you do that? _ The unshielded droid fell, plasma lines cut but sniper fire and legs sliced out from under it by Ayeh.

_ Sounds fun, _ Gavin replied as Ash reached him and held out the grenade. Gavin took it in his free hand and crouched, rolling it gently forward. Leilani received a grenade from Mine, and did the same with the other shielded Annihilator. Together, the young Jedi lifted the devices to the plasma lines of the shielded droids. Before they could detonate, the droids both fired on several troopers. Two of them didn’t get up: Vity and Leven from Fourth Unit. Leilani felt the pain and grief swell up inside her as the grenades detonated. The shielded droids fell.

_ Vity, Leven, Shell, Frost, Blaze. Five dead. At least six injured.  _ Leilani pushed her grief aside once more. She needed to get her surviving troops to safety. But with the sorrow gone, she just felt empty. She lifted her comlink to her mouth.

“Pilots, we’re ready for a pickup,” she said, her voice sounding flat even to her own ears. She made her way over to the nearest dead clone. It was Shell. She knelt beside his prone form and rested a hand on his scorched chest armor. The armor on the leg the Annihilator had hit was crushed, mangled. Overhead, the noise of the gunships grew. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, standing. One of the gunships landed beside her, and she waved to the pilot, who she recognized as Storm. Leilani stepped back as Shiner and Sprint moved forward to pick up Shell’s body. She knew they wouldn’t always have the chance to collect their dead, but this time they did. She watched as the clones carried their dead and injured brothers into the gunships.

“Leilani?” Gavin was beside her, his brow furrowed in concern.

“You did well,” Leilani replied. “Thanks for helping with the grenade. And could you tell Master Ayeh she was amazing?” Before Gavin could answer, Leilani hopped onto Storm’s gunship, with Shadow, Infra, Pace, Sprint, Shiner, and Shell’s body. She saw Gavin frown in her direction for a moment longer, then turn and hop onto Jet’s gunship with several of First Unit’s soldiers.

The trip up to the  _ Selfless _ was silent, although that could have been partly because she was focusing so intently on not breaking apart that she wasn’t sure she would have heard if anyone had tried to talk to her.


	8. When You Call Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani deals with the aftermath of Colla Four.

Leilani watched as the medics took charge of the dead and wounded, grief warring with an awful gnawing emptiness. She had known that she wouldn’t be able to make it through the whole war without losing anyone, but to have lost five of her men in their first battle…and there were so many injured.

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t lead these men to their deaths. She couldn’t lose them. She’d finally found a home again. She couldn’t lose that. Not again.

“I can feel your grief.” Leilani jumped; she hadn’t been paying attention, hadn’t noticed Ayeh approaching.

“Shell, Frost, Blaze, Leven, and Vity are dead. Why shouldn’t I grieve?” Leilani asked.

“I never said you shouldn’t,” Ayeh replied gently. “Grieving is natural. You just can’t let your sorrow overwhelm you and pull you into darkness.” Leilani blinked, and the Twi’lek gave her a little grin. “I know the Council would tell you that all emotion leads to the dark side, and you must remain calm. But I believe that to be emotionless is to be without the compassion and empathy that a Jedi needs. As long as your emotions do not drive you to hatred and darkness, they will make you a better person, and a better Jedi.”

“You don’t get along with the Council, do you?” Leilani asked, noting the slight irritation in the older Jedi’s voice.

“No, I don’t. I’m what the Council calls a Gray Jedi,” Ayeh told her. “Not that that’s really relevant. The point is, if you do nothing but push away your feelings, you’ll slip up eventually, and then you won’t know how to deal with what you’re feeling.”

“I understand what you’re saying,” Leilani said. “But I’m not really in the mood to discuss emotions. I’m feeling too many.”

“Completely understandable,” Ayeh replied. “But if you want to talk, I’d be happy to listen. And I’m sure Gavin would be willing to listen, too.”

“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Leilani replied.

“It’s no trouble, trust me. But if you don’t want to talk to another Jedi, for whatever reason, maybe talking to one of your soldiers would help,” Ayeh suggested. Leilani hesitated, thinking of the clones she’d gotten closest to: Leon, Crash, Vortex, Scratch. She knew they were probably dealing with their own grief, and didn’t want to trouble them with hers as well.

“Maybe I’ll do that,” Leilani said, even though she was leaning toward going to meditate in her quarters. Maybe some lightsaber practice would help her think things through. She bowed to Master Ayeh, then headed to her quarters. On her way, she paused outside the infirmary. She could sense the injured clones inside, and the medics tending them. She debated continuing on, then sat down with her back to the wall beside the door instead. She closed her eyes and reached out to the men inside, checking on them. Bayonet was asleep, his stomach wound covered in bacta patches. Chev was complaining about being stuck in bed with his twisted ankle. Shrapnel was reading a manual on some new kind of explosive chemical, if the formulas he was leaking into the Force were any indication. Fidget and Flash were unconscious, but Leilani could still sense their discomfort. They’d been badly battered when Frost and Blaze were killed. Eaves had been the farthest from the blast, so he was the least injured of the three. He seemed to be listening to a headset one of the medics had brought him. Leilani smiled a bit; the headset must be connected to whatever listening device he had set up in the command center. Trig was getting his wrist wrapped by Stitch, who seemed resigned and not surprised. Leilani remembered that Trig had sprained his wrist in their last battle simulation before they’d been sent to Colla Four. He must’ve reinjured it during the battle.

They were battered, beaten, but alive. Frost, Blaze, Shell, Vity, and Leven hadn’t made it, but the others had. They were alive. Leilani breathed in, absorbing the feel of their presences, weakened but definitely still there, and not going anywhere any time soon. She exhaled, her grief lightening a bit with the glow of their minds, the emptiness filling slightly with the warmth of her surviving troops. Her head fell back, pressing against the cold metal of the wall, but she didn’t notice. She was focusing with all her strength on the people around her. They were alive. Her home, her people, had taken a hit, but she wasn’t alone.

This wasn’t like when she’d lost her Master. She had other people, and she could sense that they shared her pain. Even if she wasn’t talking about it, their sorrow – muted by their injuries, other duties, or their determination to move on, but still present – did not compounding her own, as she’d expected. Instead, it was comforting to know that she wasn’t alone.

Leilani’s eyes drifted shut, her breaths steadying to match the closest of the sleeping clones.

The infirmary doors opened, and Patch stepped out into the hallway. He noticed the Jedi slumped against the wall, fast asleep, and activated his comm.

“Scratch? Leon? Could one of you come to the infirmary and get the General? Or maybe Crash? I don’t know, someone just come get her to her quarters,” the medic said tiredly. He’d been on call the whole time the 305 th had been on Colla Four, and he just wanted to go to the barracks and sleep. He wasn’t sure what to do with the Jedi who had apparently decided to take a nap against the wall.

“Don’t bother them, Patch.” The chief medic turned and found Fractal standing in the doorway. “I’ll take her if you tell me how to get there.” Patch frowned.

“You really shouldn’t be carrying anything,” he objected.

“You told me some light exercise would do me some good,” Fractal reminded him.

“Carrying sleeping Jedi isn’t what I had in mind,” Patch replied.

“You don’t know that she’ll even stay asleep if I try to pick her up,” Fractal countered. Before Patch could protest more, he stepped around him and crouched beside Leilani. “Besides, with as worried as she’s been about me, and as careful as she’s been not to intrude on my mind with her powers, I owe her at least this much.” Fractal carefully slid one arm around the Jedi’s shoulders and the other under her knees, then stood, lifting her and holding her against his chest. She stirred, mumbled something that sounded like ‘Yaddle,’ then fell asleep again. For a moment, he stood still, his body no longer used to holding anything near what the young woman weighed. Then he managed to steady himself. “All right. Are you going to give me directions, or…?” Patch scowled.

“Fine. But if you drop her, or have a setback because of this, it’s your own fault,” the chief medic grumbled. He rattled off directions, and Fractal grinned, the expression a little lopsided.

“Duly noted,” Fractal assured him. Then he set off down the hallway, the Jedi still asleep. When he reached her quarters, he bumped the access pad with his elbow. The door slid open, and Fractal carried the Jedi inside. His arms shook with exertion as he laid her on her bed, and he found himself slightly out of breath. Leilani stirred as he moved back, but didn’t wake up completely. Fractal yawned, realizing that carrying her had worn him out. Maybe he should have listened to Patch after all… He sat, deciding to just rest for a minute before he headed back to the infirmary.

When Leilani woke the next morning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She paused, sensing a familiar presence much closer than she had expected. She looked around and saw Fractal sprawled on the floor against the wall, sound asleep. She blinked and tilted her head. She didn’t remember going to her room, and she wasn’t sure why Fractal was there. She got up, taking her spare blanket from its place at the foot of her bed and draped it over him. She wondered if she should call the medics, but didn’t want to wake him up. She paused, wondering if that was why he was asleep here, and smiled softly.

Her grief was still present, and would be for a while, but she could feel the sharpness of it fading a little bit each time she reached out and was met with warmth and life. Her home was damaged, but it was still very real.

She was determined not to let it take any more damage. 

Leilani was sitting on her bed, meditating, when Fractal suddenly bolted upright. He looked around, unsure of where he was, then caught sight of the Jedi and blinked.

“Good morning, Fractal,” Leilani said, stretching and releasing the light meditative trance she’d been in. “I hope you aren’t too sore from falling asleep on the floor like that.” The clone glanced from her to the blanket now in a heap over his legs and back.

“General? What…?”

“When I woke up, you were sleeping over there,” she told him. “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you up or not, so I settled for putting the blanket over you.” Fractal looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped and glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Patch is going to kill me,” he groaned. “Does he know I’m here?”

“Yes. He told me you carried me here after I fell asleep outside the infirmary, and you must’ve over worked yourself to have fallen asleep on the floor. He also said something about having told you so?” Leilani watched, amused, as Fractal groaned again and ran a hand over his head, which was covered in short fuzz. She hadn’t noticed when she put the blanket over him, but his hair had started to grow back.

“Yeah, he said if I have a setback or something, it’s my own fault,” Fractal admitted. Leilani shook her head.

“You could have woken me up instead of carrying me,” she pointed out. The clone shrugged.

“Eaves said you were pretty torn up about the guys who died down on Colla Four. Apparently those two Jedi who came back up with you were really worried. They asked Commander Scratch if he or any of the clones were close enough to you to be comfortable talking to you about it,” he told her.

“She shouldn’t have bothered them about it,” Leilani grumbled without thinking. “They have enough to deal with.” The young Jedi seemed to realize what she’d said. “Not that I’m criticizing General Wiguc.”

“Of course not. But your men were worried already,” Fractal told her. When Leilani looked like she was going to argue, he continued, “Look. You’ve spent nearly a week training with them nonstop. Some of the men who came to visit the injured guys were talking about the battle. You did well. You only lost five out of your hundred troops, and there weren’t any deaths until those weird prototypes showed up. If it hadn’t been for those, the 305 th would’ve made it through their first battle with only three injured as the casualties.” Leilani was quiet for a moment, and Fractal took the opportunity to stand and fold the blanket. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset that those men died. But you still have the rest of your troops, and they’re still counting on you. Whatever orders you get next, those men will be there to support you as long as you lead them.”

“I just want to protect them,” Leilani confessed. Fractal set the folded blanket on her bed, then met her gaze steadily.

“No matter how well you protect your men, some of them are going to die. The 305 th is a pretty elite legion, which is why it’s so small. You’ve got way more snipers and demolition guys and scouts than a group this size would usually have, and even your troopers are a notch above the rest. But even this legion will have casualties, elite Jedi legion or not.” When Leilani shot him a confused look, he explained, “I’ve been sitting in the infirmary for days, with only the medics and your visits to distract me. So I did some research once Patch cleared me. The 305 th was built to be a Jedi’s elite legion, a hundred troops that would do special missions with whatever Jedi General they were assigned to. They’ve been on standby because the Council couldn’t decide who to assign them to. Apparently they tried giving the legion to some guy named Vite, but there was some issue between him and the officers.”

“Probably the fact that he treats clones like mindless drones,” Leilani said bitterly. She didn’t like the idea of Master Vite being put in charge of any group of clones, and she especially didn’t like the idea that he was the original leader of  _ this  _ group. Whether Fractal was right or not about her men being chosen to be the elite guard of a Jedi, they deserved to have a General who would treat them like the individuals they were. “But why me? I haven’t been a Knight much longer than there’s been a war going on,” she added.

“Something about a mission with a group called Smoke Squad?” Fractal replied. “This part I had to get from Eaves, since it wasn’t in the official records, but he said he heard about your Smoke Squad friends and did some digging. Supposedly, the Council thought that since you worked so well with them, you’d be suitable for commanding a group like the 305 th .”

“I guess that makes sense,” she admitted. “Anyway, it’s getting late. You should get back to the infirmary, and if I want to eat before the mess hall closes, I should get going.” Fractal nodded, and Leilani opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He followed, and together they walked down the hall.

“Do you think if I get back to the infirmary before Patch does his rounds, he’ll forget about me overdoing it?” the clone wondered wistfully. Leilani snickered.

“I got the feeling when I met him that Patch doesn’t forget anything about any of his patients,” she told him. “You’re probably in for a lecture and a bit of extra poking today.”

“As long as they don’t assign Chipper to me, I think I can take it,” Fractal replied.

“Chipper isn’t that bad,” she protested. Fractal gave her an incredulous look, and she grinned. “Okay, so his manner might not be the easiest to adjust to. He tries to keep things light, but he does come off as entirely too excited about bad things happening to people. His heart is in the right place, though.”

“If you say so, General,” Fractal said, shaking his head at her. “If you say so.” Leilani stuck her tongue out at him, and he was so astonished that he tripped and nearly fell. Leilani grabbed his arm and steadied him.

“Are you okay?” she demanded, eyeing him worriedly. He laughed.

“You just surprised me,” he answered. “I didn’t expect you to do that. Jedi are usually so…”

“Dignified?” Leilani made another face, this time scrunching up her nose in overdramatic distaste. “Being dignified is overrated,” she huffed. Fractal laughed again, and Leilani had to smile in return, pleased that he was in such a good mood. He’d been through a lot, after all.

“General? Fractal?” Leilani looked up and smiled.

“Hello, Commander Scratch,” she said. “I thought you’d be in the mess hall, or training with your men.”

“Actually, I was looking for you, General,” the Commander replied seriously. Something in his expression made her frown in concern.

“What is it?”

“We got a message from Herring Company. That Bothan showed up back in the Barab System. General Cathmore sent a report of the encounter,” he added, holding out a datapad. Leilani took it and activated the first file she saw. She glanced at Fractal, who had gone tense when Herring Company was mentioned, then turned her attention to the file.

“He showed no interest in the  _ Semblance, _ ” she muttered, referring to the ship Herring Company used. “And seemed to be making a run at the planet’s surface. Did he think we hid Fractal there?” Leilani looked up, having finished reading the brief report.

“I don’t know, but General Cathmore mentioned a theory she had. We have our orders,” Scratch added. “We’re going back to Barab One to talk to the Barabels. Apparently, while they do respect all Jedi, General Cathmore has a reputation with them, and they have insisted on having you back, General.” Leilani blinked, surprised and confused.

“What reputation could Master Cathmore possibly have…oh. Wait. I understand,” Leilani sighed. “This is about Tkik-to.” Scratch and Fractal exchanged confused looks. “She was the Barabel Senator until Master Cathmore’s network found evidence she might be working with smugglers. It wasn’t true, but the rumors were enough to ruin Tkik-to’s reputation. Shaka-ka is the mate of the current Senator, Svir-tu, who is also Tkik-to’s daughter. They must blame Master Cathmore for the whole situation.”

“Even though the Barabels revere Jedi?” Scratch questioned.

“They found out about Master Cathmore’s network, and Tkik-to and her followers declared that she doesn’t count as a Jedi in their eyes. Most of the Barabels would still accept Master Cathmore as a Jedi, but…”

“Just not the representative you met with,” Scratch finished.

“Yep. Does this mean we’re going back to Barab One?” Leilani asked.

“For now. The  _ Selfless _ actually jumped to hyperspace a few hours ago. The Colicoids officially joined the Separatists,” Scratch added grimly.

“Wonderful. Let’s just hope they don’t get any more prototypes working any time soon,” she sighed.

“As far as our intelligence has been able to tell, destroying the factory and the four prototypes was a huge setback for the development of those mantis droids,” Scratch assured her. “We don’t have to worry about those showing up again any time soon.”

“That’s a relief,” Leilani said. “How long before we get to Barab One?”

“Another few hours,” Scratch answered. “If you don’t mind me saying so, General, you should take the time to relax. The men are still worn out from the battle, so I told everyone today would be independent training only.” He studied her reaction, seemingly waiting for her to reprimand him for giving the men a break.

“They deserve a rest,” Leilani murmured. “I think I’ll wander around and see what everyone’s up to – after I eat,” she added. Scratch’s shoulders lowered slightly as a little tension drained out of them.

“I think the snipers would appreciate it if you would drop in on their practice so they can show off. And the scouts want to see if they can figure out how to do whatever Shadow was bragging about doing the other day,” he told her. Leilani grinned.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Commander.”

“Any time, General,” Scratch replied. Then he glanced at Fractal. “By the way, Patch and the other medics are probably looking for you by now. You might want to try to sneak back into the infirmary before they find you.” Fractal winced, then nodded to Leilani before setting off down the hallway. When he was out of earshot, Scratch turned to Leilani. “How are you feeling?” Leilani smiled up at his concerned expression.

“I’m okay,” she said. “Well, maybe not okay. But I’m better.”

“Yesterday was the first time you lost someone under your command,” Scratch began. “I know it’s hard, and Crash and Leon and the others were very concerned. Crash said you fell down when Frost and Blaze died.” Leilani bit her lip. She’d been hoping Crash wouldn’t mention that to anyone.

“I was too close to them mentally when they died,” she explained. “It wasn’t as bad as when I lost the pilots, but I wasn’t prepared for how hard it hit me. I’ll be better prepared if anything happens again.”

“ _ When _ another soldier dies, General, I hope that you’ll be able to pull away quickly enough so you don’t fall again. But I also hope that you know that the other officers and I know what it’s like to have one of your men die. Those soldiers were under our command too,” he reminded her. “Rufus might not be the best conversationalist, but any of us would be perfectly willing to talk, or just sit and listen. And before you say something about not bothering us, you should keep in mind something they taught us in officers’ training: if you keep your grief inside, it will rot and eat away at you. If you feel like you can’t show your feelings to your men, then at least talk to fellow officers. Don’t let casualties rot you away, General. I think I speak for the whole 305 th when I say that we’re used to having you around now, and we’d rather not lose you. The only way any of us are going to make it through this war is if we support each other,” he said. “So if you need anything….” Leilani stared up at him for a long moment, blinking back moisture from her eyes as the full weight of what Fractal had told her combined with what Scratch was saying.

This wasn’t just her home. It wasn’t just that these were her men. She was  _ their _ General. She was part of their home too, now.

“Thank you,” she managed. Scratch saluted, then uncertainly reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Any time, General.” Then he smiled, the scar on his cheek twisting in what was quickly becoming a familiar and almost comforting way. “Let’s get to the mess hall. I haven’t eaten either,” he admitted. Leilani laughed, and the two of them headed for the mess hall together.


	9. No Need to Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani takes comfort in her surviving troops and reunites with some older friends.

The mess hall was mostly empty by the time Leilani and Scratch got there. When they got their food and sat at one of the long tables, a couple of clones got up from their seats and moved to sit around them. Leilani recognized Crash, Trig, and Danchaf, one of Fifth Unit’s snipers.

“How’s your wrist, Trig?” Leilani asked. The trooper blinked.

“Fine, General. Stitch says I shouldn’t use it much for the next few days, though.”

“What about you, General?” Crash asked. “Are you okay?” The normally exuberant clone was quiet and serious. Leilani figured he was probably remembering the way she’d fallen the day before.

“I’m all right, Crash,” she assured him. Danchaf gave her an appraising look, but didn’t say anything. Trig raised an eyebrow and started to say something – probably about Leilani having fallen asleep outside the infirmary – but Crash elbowed his fellow trooper.

“If you say so, General,” Crash said.

“I didn’t realize so many of my men were such worrywarts,” Leilani teased. The men chuckled, and Leilani smiled. “Danchaf, are you going to practice with the rest of the snipers?” Danchaf glanced at Scratch.

“I am, General. Were you planning to observe?” Leilani could sense excitement slipping past the sniper’s shields.

“As long as it won’t cause any trouble, yes,” she replied. Danchaf grinned.

“We’d be happy to have you, General. If you want, you could always do more than observe,” he added. Leilani tilted her head curiously.

“Oh, no! Don’t you go initiating the General into your sniper shenanigans!” Crash exclaimed. Danchaf gave his fellow clone a sly grin.

“You make us sound so sinister, Crash. I’m insulted,” the sniper protested. “Besides, can you really imagine the General getting involved in any ‘shenanigans’ she doesn’t want to?”

“I guess so,” Crash agreed reluctantly. “But still!”

“It’s all right, Crash,” Leilani broke in, hiding her amusement. “I appreciate your concern.” She reached out with the Force, brushing his mind lightly.

_ Maybe next time I can observe some of the troopers’ practice sessions, _ she suggested.

_ If you’re going to get into sniper shenanigans, maybe next time instead of training, you should come with us troopers when we have leave time on a civilized planet, _ he replied. Leilani blinked, then let her curiosity and amusement trickle through the Force to him.

_ An interesting proposal. I’ll consider it, _ she told him. He grinned, and Trig glanced between the two curiously.

“Ready to go, General?” Danchaf asked. Leilani nodded and stood.

“I’ll see you guys later,” she said to Scratch, Trig, and Crash. They each tossed her a casual salute, and she left with Danchaf. As the door closed behind her, she heard Crash begin talking animatedly to Trig, and Scratch’s presence spiked with concern and amusement. Leilani smiled to herself, wondering what the troopers had said to make the commander react that way. “So, Danchaf, where to?”

“We snipers modified one of the firing ranges. That’s where we do our practices,” he answered.

“Lead the way, then,” Leilani replied.

Fifteen minutes later, Leilani was perched on a raised platform, a sniper’s blaster rifle set against her shoulder, with all sixteen of the 305 th ’s snipers clustered around her, offering advice.

“Just relax, General,” Scope suggested. “Trust your targeting scope.”

“What? That thing’s nowhere near big enough to be helpful,” Crosshairs protested.

“You think anything less than your monster targeting array isn’t big enough to be helpful,” Leilani murmured, eyeing the target at the far end of the range.

“Remember, you only get one chance,” one of the snipers from Second Unit – named One – piped up.

“Hush, One,” grumbled Web, another Second Unit sniper. “She can take as many shots as she needs.”

“You’re only saying that because you like firing multiple shots,” the third Second Unit sniper, Hunter, snapped.

“All of you shut it,” Clip, from First Unit, ordered. “You’re making Twitch, well…twitch.” The nervous sniper, also from First Unit, had earned his name because of a tic that frequently jumped above one eye when he was on a mission. Leilani took a moment to absorb the banter, then tuned them out and fired. Silence fell as the snipers abandoned their arguments in favor of checking her shot. She’d hit the edge of the target.

“Not bad for a first try,” Snap announced. “But you’re taking too much time to aim and not connecting with the target.”

“What does that even mean?” Crosshairs grouched. Snap looked like he was about to start a long explanation of his outlook on how to be a good sniper, so Leilani picked another target and fired. Once again, every single sniper turned to see how accurate her shot was. It was closer to the center this time.

“You learn fast, General,” Scissor, one of Third Unit’s snipers, commented.

“Thank you.” Leilani carefully set the weapon down and stretched. “I don’t know how you guys sit in the same place for so long, though. Don’t you get stiff?”

“Used to,” Scope answered. “But you get accustomed to staying still for long periods of time.”

“I suppose so,” Leilani mused, thinking about how long it had taken her to get used to extended periods of meditation.

“Scratch said you might come help me teach the other scouts my trick when you were done with the snipers.” Leilani jumped and whirled, finding Shadow standing behind her. Several of the snipers swore, and Twitch fell over.

“We should put a bell on you,” One growled. Then he turned to Leilani. “Please don’t teach the other scouts that trick he does. Having Shadow do it is bad enough. If Infra, Pace, and the others learn it, too, I’ll never have a moment of peace again!”

“But it would be useful if they could do it at least a little bit, especially if Darth Zeich shows up again,” Leilani replied. The snipers exchanged glances, then sighed as one.

“You have a point, General,” Clip admitted.

“So are you done with the snipers now?” Shadow asked.

“I don’t know. Crash seemed worried they would get me involved in their sniper shenanigans, but I haven’t seen anything so far that would qualify,” the Jedi replied.

“Oh, we decided to save the shenanigans until you can hit the target dead center,” explained Nudj, one of Fifth Unit’s snipers. Leilani grinned.

“I’ll look forward to that, then,” she told them. “I’ll see you men later.” The snipers saluted, and Leilani nodded in acknowledgement, then followed Shadow to one of the gyms used for battle simulations, where the rest of the scouts were waiting.

By the time the  _ Selfless _ dropped out of hyperspace in the Barab System, the scouts were completely convinced that none of them would ever be able to pull off completely vanishing the way Shadow could, but they were much better at reducing how noticeable their Force presences were.

A few minutes after the ship dropped out of hyperspace, Leilani’s comlink beeped, and Flare informed her that the  _ Semblance  _ would be docking in the main hangar shortly, and the Barabel representative Shaka-ka had requested a meeting with her for the following morning.

When Leilani reached the main hangar, the  _ Semblance _ ’s crew was already clustered around their ship. Twenty clones stood in groups of five, squad members chatting easily. One of the groups included a human teenager who seemed to be arguing good-naturedly with one of her soldiers. Leilani barely recognized Jada Nadia, who had been one of her best friends when the two were younglings. After losing her Master, Leilani had spent time training with various Jedi, one of whom was Master Cathmore. During that time, Leilani and Jada had renewed their friendship, and they’d kept in touch ever since, which was part of why Leilani had been assigned to that mission near Bestine with them at the start of the war. As much as Leilani was looking forward to talking to her old friend again, there was a different group she wanted to greet first.

Smoke Squad was clustered a little away from the other members of Herring Company, the five of them talking quietly instead of engaging in enthusiastic chatter like the other squads. Leilani recognized each of them easily. There was Captain Silver, with his hair dyed a light silvery gray, watching his troops sternly. And there were Ghost and Kickstart, who were bent over what looked like a piece of flimsi, probably planning a prank or dare. Ghost’s long white hair hid part of his face, but Kickstart’s buzzed brown hair did nothing to conceal the mischievous grin he was sporting. Skritt was turning some object over and over in his hands, no doubt a souvenir from their last mission. Imp, the weapons specialist, was sitting on the floor, cleaning what looked like a small vibroblade dagger.

As she approached, Leilani considered reaching out mentally, but decided against it.

“Smoke Squad, form up!” she called out. The five clones jumped to attention, then realized who had addressed them and relaxed slightly.

“It’s good to see you again, General,” Captain Silver said formally. Leilani nodded politely, and there was a moment of quiet as she studied them, wondering what they’d been up to in the time since she’d seen them, and they studied her, wondering if being given her own command had changed her at all. Then Skritt stepped forward and held something out to her. She took the object and turned it over in her hand. It was a smooth metal insignia, the kind that would be on a retainer’s uniform.

“That’s the symbol of the Fey’yla family,” the comm officer told her. “We didn’t get close enough to the Bothan to bring you a souvenir directly from him, but I picked this up on Kothlis for you, so…” Leilani grinned and closed her fingers around the emblem.

“Thank you, Skritt,” she said sincerely. “And don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get the Bothan eventually. Then we can all have souvenirs from him.” Skritt was positively beaming as Leilani slipped the emblem into a pocket on her utility belt. That seemed to break the barrier of uncertainty, and Kickstart rushed forward and hugged the Jedi, who laughed and returned the gesture. “Hey, Kickstart. You haven’t let Ghost get you into too much trouble while I was gone, have you?”

“He practically begged me to get him in trouble,” Ghost commented, jabbing the pilot’s side. Kickstart glared at the scout, who just smiled innocently.

“Kickstart, let go of the General,” Silver ordered. “And Ghost, all of the trouble you two got into was a collaborative effort.” Kickstart stepped back and made a face at the Captain, whose expression didn’t change. Leilani turned to Imp, who noticed that he had her attention and stepped forward.

“What about you, Imp?” she asked, tilting her head at the weapons specialist. “Any cool new toys?” His lips twitched in a somehow wicked smile, and he nodded, his black hair spiked just the way she remembered.

“General Cathmore found these while we were on Kothlis,” Imp said, sliding a pair of flat metal throwing knives from underneath the armor on his forearms. “Since they don’t have a charge like a blaster or vibroblade would, they can get through a surprising number of security sweeps.” Leilani shook her head.

“How many of those things do you have hidden in your armor?” she asked warily. Imp gave her a full-blown evil smirk.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t really want the answers to, General,” he replied cheerfully.

“Leilani!” Jada had noticed her presence and walked over. The five members of Veil Squad – Captain Cobble, Till the pilot, RJ the comm officer, Fetch the sniper, and Shout, the squad’s scout – trailed after their Commander. Leilani nodded to the clones, then hugged Jada.

“Did you have fun on Kothlis?” the older girl asked.

“Oh, yes! Master Marva and I haven’t been on a Bothan planet in ages! It was so nice to be around so many people who all seemed like they could figure out my tricks and disguises, and this time I managed to detect and identify the Bothan who was tailing us!” Jada answered happily. “What about you? I heard about your losses on Colla Four. How are you holding up?”

“I’m better now,” Leilani answered.

“She fell asleep outside the infirmary though.” The clones snapped to attention as Scratch, Leon, and Rufus approached. Leilani frowned at Leon, who had just blabbed to Herring Company.

“You know, spreading rumors about your general isn’t very becoming of an officer, Leon,” she informed him. He gave her a lazy grin.

“Even if they’re true?” he asked. Rufus shook his head at his fellow Captain, but didn’t say anything. Leilani sensed irritation from the direction of Smoke Squad, and turned to them with a questioning expression. She realized they were glaring at Leon at the same time the shaggy-haired Captain seemed to realize the same thing. “Ah, I take it those five are the famous Smoke Squad?”

“Yeah, that’s Captain Silver, Ghost, Kickstart, Skritt, and Imp,” Leilani replied. “And, boys, don’t glare at Leon like that. He’s a good man to have on your side.” Smoke Squad seemed to relax a little, although they still eyed Leon warily.

“I see you started the reunion without me,” observed a voice that was lower than Leilani remembered. But then, Marva Cathmore often altered her tone, along with pretty much every other aspect of her appearance. Leilani turned and bowed to the Jedi Master, who currently had olive skin and deep black hair.

“Hello, Master,” Leilani and Jada chorused. Marva grinned at them, then turned to the 305 th ’s clone officers.

“Leilani, won’t you introduce me to your men?” she asked.

“Of course, Master. This is Commander Scratch, in command of First Unit, Captain Leon, commander of Second Unit, and Captain Rufus, commander of Third Unit. Men, this is General Marva Cathmore,” Leilani announced. The three officers saluted. “Where are Rom and Hawk?”

“They managed to hide before Leon found them and dragged them here,” Rufus grumbled, eyeing said Captain balefully.

“If you would come to introductions and meetings and such on your own, I wouldn’t have to hunt you down and drag you,” Leon replied. “Rom was doing paperwork, and Hawk was with his remaining troopers, discussing modified drills until we get new men.”

“Ah. I see,” Leilani said, feeling the grief that had been pushed back by the company of her surviving troops threatening to swell again. Vity and Leven had both been in Hawk’s unit. A hand on her shoulder pulled her attention away from her thoughts of the dead troopers.

“They’ll probably be at lunch in an hour or so,” Scratch said, leaving his hand on Leilani’s shoulder until she smiled.

“I’ll introduce them to everyone at lunch, then,” she decided. “In the meantime, Master, Scratch mentioned you had a theory on why Zeich tried to get to Barab One?” Marva nodded.

“Jada and I have been sensing something from the planet’s surface. I think there may be a Force-sensitive Barabel down there,” she said. “If Zeich really is a Sith like he claims, he could be looking for someone to recruit as an apprentice. Sith have a nasty habit of doing that, after all.”

“I’ll ask Shaka-ka about it when I see him tomorrow,” Leilani said. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I heard the Barabels still don’t like you, Master.” Marva groaned.

“They have really, really long memories,” she complained. “Which helps most Jedi, but it means that I’ll probably never be welcomed by that particular family of Barabels even if I live a thousand years.”

“The Bothans like you, though, so it all evens out,” Jada pointed out.

“The Barabels recognized my scent, so even though I look completely different, they still wouldn’t talk to me,” Marva complained. “And the Bothans see through most of my disguises too.”

“We must not get complacent, or complain when others detect our disguises,” Jada recited cheerfully. Her Master shook her head at the Padawan, who grinned unrepentantly. Leilani laughed.

“Will you all be staying on the  _ Selfless  _ for a while?” the young Knight asked.

“Until we get another lead on Zeich, yes,” Marva answered.

“I’ll arrange for barracks,” Rufus offered quickly. “I’ll comm when everything’s set up.” He left quickly, before anyone could acknowledge his words.

“He’s awfully antisocial,” Ghost complained. “Hey, Kickstart, I dare you to-“

“Ghost,” Captain Silver interrupted sharply. “You know better.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m going to change, Captain,” the scout replied.

“It’s good to see you all again,” Leilani said, smiling fondly at them. Leon glanced at her, then shrugged.

“Oh, General. Patch said he wanted to talk to you about Fractal,” Scratch said. Leilani frowned.

“I hope everything’s okay,” she muttered. Then she turned to Herring Company. “I’m afraid I have to go see what Patch wants. I’ll leave you men in the capable and  _ non-gossiping _ hands of Commander Scratch and Captain Leon,” she added with a sharp look at Leon, who smiled innocently, completely unrepentant.

“You know Eaves would’ve told them eventually,” Leon pointed out. Leilani made a face at him, then turned to Marva and Jada.

“You’re welcome to tag along, or you can look for Gavin and Master Ayeh. They’re on board somewhere,” the young Knight said, wondering if she should mention that she wasn’t sure how Fractal would react to strange Jedi.

“I think we’ll go look for our fellow Jedi,” Marva replied. “I’m sure after what Fractal went through, two Jedi who are as sneaky as we are wouldn’t exactly put him at ease.” Leilani nodded, relieved. Then she nodded to Smoke Squad and her own officers before heading for the infirmary.

* * *

 

Patch met Leilani outside the infirmary.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, General,” the chief medic said. “Would you walk with me?” Leilani nodded, and Patch led her down the hallway.

“Scratch said it was about Fractal,” she replied. “Has something happened?”

“Aside from his continued physical weakness and memory loss, he’s fine. He needs to build his strength back up, and the other medics and I have done everything we can to bring back his memory, but nothing has helped. So he really just needs light work to keep him occupied,” Patch told her.

“Basically, he’s fit to return to duty,” Leilani summarized.

“Not quite. He can do administrative or support jobs, but he’s nowhere near ready to be in command or on the front lines again,” Patch corrected. “I hope you’ll forgive me if I’ve overstepped, but I put in a request for Fractal to be assigned to you as an assistant. He’d be able to do some light training to regain his strength, and he’d stay on board the  _ Selfless _ as long as you do.” Leilani stopped walking, shocked.

“Why?”

“Because if I clear him for administrative duty without a request like that, they’ll send him back to the  _ Candid _ , and he’ll be doing paperwork for his former command. Or they’ll stick him on Kamino doing cleanup or something. I assumed you’d want to keep him close,” Patch explained, his voice calm. His eyes darted to her face and away. She didn’t have to check his Force presence to know that he was hiding nervousness.

“Of course I want him close by,” Leilani said soothingly. “But this should be his choice, not ours. He may not want to stay on the  _ Selfless _ . And maybe he’d rather do paperwork than follow me around.” Patch’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“I actually talked to him about it before I sent the request, General. He said being your assistant is the best option he has right now.” Leilani tilted her head thoughtfully. Would Fractal be content with this until he was cleared for active duty again…if he was ever cleared for active duty again? “General, with respect, if you’re worried about how happy Fractal will be, don’t. This is the best option he has unless or until he’s allowed to fight again,” Patch said, drawing Leilani out of her thoughts. She studied him, and found only sincerity in his expression and Force presence.

“All right. Is there anything I can do to speed things up?” she asked.

“Command has already approved the assignment. It turns out they’ve already promoted another clone to Fractal’s former position. He still ranks as a Captain, though,” Patch added when Leilani frowned. “Anyway, all you have to do is sign this,” he finished, handing her a datapad. She took it, eyed the file showing on the screen. It was a set of orders for Captain Fractal, assigning him to her. Leilani glanced at Patch, who was waiting patiently.

“You’re sure Fractal agreed to this?”

“Yes, General. He had some doubts when I mentioned it to him yesterday, but after whatever conversation you two had this morning, those doubts vanished,” the chief medic assured her. Leilani smiled to herself and signed the datapad, then handed it back.

“There. Now what?”

“Now I formally release Captain Fractal into your command,” Patch answered, gesturing to the door beside them. Leilani blinked; they’d walked in a circle, and were back in front of the infirmary. The door opened, and Patch stuck his head in. “Fractal! The General’s here to pick you up!” A moment later, Fractal emerged, wearing a new set of armor, marked in the gold of the 305 th .

“General.” Fractal saluted, and Leilani nodded in reply.

“How are you feeling, Captain?” she asked.

“Much better, General,” he replied. “Although I’d prefer it if you just called me Fractal. I still don’t remember being a Captain, so…”

“I understand. Fractal it is, then. And if you’re going to be my assistant, you might as well just use my name,” she told him. Patch and Fractal both blinked, and Leilani grinned. “I’m seventeen; being called ‘General’ all the time feels so…”

“Dignified?” Fractal supplied. Leilani nodded approvingly.

“Exactly,” she agreed. Patch stared from clone to Jedi and back again, confusion evident. “Don’t worry about it, Patch,” Leilani said cheerfully. Fractal chuckled. “Now, Fractal, we should probably go see what the other Jedi are up to, if you’re feeling up for it.”

“A bit of exercise would be nice, Gener- ah, Leilani,” he replied. She studied him for a moment, wondering if he was up to meeting new Jedi, considering his initial reaction to her. “I’ll be fine,” he promised, as though reading her mind. Leilani smiled and shook her head.

“All right, then.” She reached out through the Force, locating the other Jedi. All four were in one of the battle simulator gyms. She sensed Gavin and Jada in the middle of the room, intensity radiating off them. Their Masters were nearby, focused, but not to the same level. “It seems the Padawans are sparring,” Leilani mused. “Shall we go see who’s winning?”

“Sounds fun,” Fractal replied. The two set off together, pausing when Patch called after them.

“Fractal, you can either stay in the officers’ barracks, or have one of the individual rooms nearby. And Dent is supposed to be assigning you an office!” Fractal waved to acknowledge the information, then kept walking, Leilani beside him.

“You get your own office? Fancy,” she murmured. Fractal’s nose wrinkled in distaste, which made the Jedi snicker. “I promise not to give you too much paperwork,” she told him.

“I appreciate that,” he replied ruefully. Leilani grinned.

“Here we are,” she announced, opening the door to the gym. 


	10. Just Because Everything's Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jedi have some good-natured sparring matches.

Leilani and Fractal stepped inside and stopped, watching the two humans in the center of the room. Gavin and Jada were currently locked together, blades hissing, each straining to overpower the other.

“Are they using real lightsabers?” Fractal asked.

“Of course. They’ve probably got them powered down to training mode, though,” she added reassuringly. “No one wants Padawans to dismember each other during sparring.” Fractal shuddered. “Oh, look. Gavin thinks he’s won.” The male Padawan was grinning and bearing down on his female counterpart. Physically, he was the stronger of the two, but Jada had focused her training in more subtle areas. Leilani saw the light smirk twisting her lips, and knew Gavin had lost. Before she could voice the thought to Fractal, however, Jada had slipped one foot forward and the other straight back, falling into a split and angling her lightsaber so as Gavin lost his balance and his lightsaber descended, hers deflected it harmlessly to the side. Before Gavin could recover, Jada had tilted her body and spun her legs, sweeping his feet out from under him, then using the momentum to spin easily to her own feet. She planted one foot on the hilt of his lightsaber, pressing the weapon to the ground, and brought the tip of her own weapon to rest at the base of her fellow Padawan’s throat.

“Nicely done, Jada,” Marva called as her Padawan deactivated her lightsaber and stepped aside to let Gavin sit up.

“Gavin, you got overconfident again,” Ayeh added.

“Against almost anyone else, his confidence would have been warranted,” Leilani put in, walking farther into the room so the other Jedi could hear. “But Jada’s physical training has been more about speed and flexibility.” At the mention of flexibility, Gavin winced.

“I’ve tried to get him to be flexible,” Ayeh complained.

“I’m plenty mentally flexible,” Gavin protested. “I always come up with options when we’re in a tight spot.”

“Yes, but being physically flexible is important as well,” his Master replied. “If all you can do in physical altercations is move about like a beast of burden, you’ll get shot or worse.”

“If someone catches you by surprise, being limber is really helpful,” Jada added. “I haven’t been caught by surprise in a while, but Leilani can back me up on this.”

“Are you implying someone’s gotten the jump on me recently?” Leilani inquired coolly.

“Of course not. Certainly not on Bestine,” Jada answered, tone perfectly light and innocent. Leilani’s eyes narrowed.

“That was a training exercise, and I  _ let _ Kickstart sneak up on me,” the young Knight insisted.

“It was a dare, and you were too busy flirting with that pilot girl to notice Kickstart,” Jada corrected. Leilani opened her mouth to keep arguing, but a poorly suppressed chuckle caught her attention. She turned to face Fractal, eyebrows raised.

“Sorry, General,” he said, sounding like he wasn’t sorry at all. Leilani tutted.

“I’ll give you all my paperwork,” she threatened. He just grinned.

“Who’s this?” Marva asked.

“He’s got the  _ kama _ of a Captain, but he wasn’t on Colla Four,” Gavin noted.

“This is Fractal,” Leilani replied. Marva and Jada eyed the clone with increased interest. “And no, you can’t bombard him with questions. I’m sure you’ve read all the reports, so you know everything there is to know.” Jada pouted, and Marva looked like she was trying her best not to do the same.

“You’re right, we have read all the reports. Including the one proposing that he be transferred to your command,” Marva said, her eyes sharp despite the soft tone of her voice.

“I don’t want to know which comm officer got you access to that,” Leilani grumbled. “Otherwise I’d have to get revenge on Splice. But yes. Fractal is on light duty as my assistant.” Leilani turned to Gavin and Ayeh. “Any word on where you two will be sent next?”

“Not yet. Hopefully we’ll be assigned to a legion of our own,” Ayeh replied.

“You’re getting the 417th Battalion,” Jada piped up. “The  _ Tolerance _ will be here tomorrow afternoon to pick you up.” Ayeh eyed Jada for a moment, then turned to Marva.

“I see your Padawan is flexible in more ways than one,” the Twi’lek said carefully.

“I’ve taught Jada a lot,” Marva replied easily. “Such as when to follow rules, and when to bend or break them for the sake of the greater good.”

“Or for information that could potentially benefit the greater good,” Jada added. Ayeh smiled.

“You and I should keep in touch, Master Cathmore,” she decided.

“I think you’re right,” Marva replied. Leilani shook her head. Ayeh had told the Knight she was a Gray Jedi, and Leilani knew from experience that Marva probably fell into that category as well, but she hadn’t expected the two of them to get along so well so quickly.

“Generals? Commanders?” Fractal and the Jedi turned toward the door, where Eaves stood. “The mess hall is going to start serving lunch in a few minutes. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“And you wanted to see what we were up to,” Leilani said. “Thank you, Eaves. We’ll be there shortly.” The trooper saluted but didn’t leave. Leilani gave him a pointed look, and he grinned sheepishly, then left. “Shall we go?”

“Food sounds good,” Gavin answered, heading for the door.

“Gavin?”

“Yes?” he said without pausing.

“The mess hall is that way,” Leilani told him, pointing to the door on the opposite side of the room from the one he’d been headed toward. He turned on his heel and headed for the indicated door.

“I knew that. I was just testing you,” he said as he passed her. Leilani shook her head and followed him, Fractal at her side and Jada, Marva, and Ayeh behind her.

“Do you ever spar, Leilani?” Fractal asked as they walked.

“When I get the chance. It’s been weeks since my last sparring match,” Leilani answered. “I got to work with the younglings while I was at the Temple between missions, but since the war started, there aren’t many Knights or Masters at the Temple at a time.”

“You can spar with me later,” Jada offered. Leilani nodded.

“I’d like that. Maybe after lunch?” the Knight suggested. “If you’re not too tired from beating Gavin, anyway.”

“As if that would tire me out,” Jada huffed. Leilani grinned as Gavin let out an undignified squawk of protest. It was good to have her Jedi friends around her, and her troops were safe for now. Even Fractal was doing well enough to have been released.

Leilani wished that things could stay just like this for a few days, just to let her and her troops feel secure.

* * *

 

Leilani faced Jada, lightsaber at the ready. Jada’s expression was calm and confident, and she twirled her own lightsaber easily, blue blade blurring for a moment.

“Begin,” Ayeh called. Jada leaped forward immediately, lightsaber dancing, and Leilani blocked every thrust, her movements less flashy than Jada’s, more efficient and precise. Jada’s fighting style focused on flexibility, acrobatics, and catching an opponent off guard. Leilani’s style was more controlled, but also more instinctive. The Knight’s movements were designed for efficiency, but she didn’t plan them ahead of time. Instead, she let her mind float in the Force, guiding her blade according to the currents of energy she sensed, rather than what she could see.

Jada retreated, her initial attack having been soundly repelled. Leilani could tell that Jada expected a pause, a moment of consideration. Instead, Leilani threw her lightsaber, normally a reckless move, but instead of simply tossing the weapon, she guided its path with the Force, then darted forward in the weapon’s wake. Jada’s presence spiked with surprise behind her careful shields, and Leilani pressed her advantage, guiding her lightsaber back to her hand as she reached her opponent and launching a series of short, precise slashes at Jada’s legs and arms. Jada Force-leaped above the slashes, somersaulting over Leilani’s head and slashing at her as she passed overhead. Leilani ducked and spun, straightening and bringing her lightsaber up to meet Jada’s as the Padawan landed. They stayed like that for a moment, standing close together, struggling for an advantage. Jada dropped, doing the same split stunt she’d pulled against Gavin.

Leilani let her weapon follow Jada’s down, but leaned forward as their blades descended, using the momentum to flip over her opponent’s head, twisting at the crest of her leap to land beside her instead of behind her, where her other leg would be in range of the spinning follow-up Jada had pulled on Gavin. Jada spun anyway, and Leilani shifted her foot, using the Force to cement her position in relation to the floor. Jada’s leg hit Leilani’s leg and stopped. Leilani swiftly brought her lightsaber down and tapped the tip to Jada’s wrist, then brought the weapon to rest beside her friend’s neck. Jada’s lightsaber fell to the floor and deactivated, her wrist numb from the blow with the training-strength weapon.

“I saw you fight on our mission near Bestine, remember?” Leilani reminded Jada, who shook her head ruefully. Leilani deactivated her lightsaber and stepped back. Jada grimaced and rubbed her wrist.

“Now who’s overconfident?” Gavin shouted from the sidelines. Leilani looked up and paused. She’d sensed numerous clones nearby, but hadn’t spared the attention to pinpoint who and where they were. As many of the 305 th , Herring Company, and the  _ Selfless _ ’s crew as could fit inside the gym without being in range of the sparring match were lining the walls. She noticed Bacc, Fifth Unit’s medic, walking around the perimeter, Eaves on his heels. Leilani noticed slips of flimsi changing hands and tilted her head curiously.

She could sense chagrin from some of the troops, and smug satisfaction and pride from others. Eaves and Bacc seemed especially pleased, but their shields were up, so she wasn’t sure exactly what they’d done. She was sure this was their doing, though.

“Well done, Leilani,” Ayeh congratulated the Knight, walking up with the other Jedi and a few clone officers in tow. “A few of your soldiers and most of Herring Company spread the word that this would be a match to remember, and it seems they were right.” Leilani’s eyes narrowed, although the praise made her want to grin.

“Which of my soldiers, exactly?” she asked.

“Ah…the one you called Eaves and one of the medics,” the Twi’lek answered. “Why?” Leilani shook her head, realizing what was happening.

“I’ll explain in a minute,” she said. “Please excuse me.” Leilani made her way over to Eaves and Bacc and stood behind them as they talked with Anooba and Beetle, scouts from Fifth Unit. Beetle noticed her first and paled. When he took a step back, Anooba noticed, and had a similar reaction. Eaves and Bacc seemed confused, until they realized their fellow clones were staring between them. The trooper and the medic turned slowly, saw Leilani, and saluted. The Jedi noticed that the helmet under Bacc’s arm held several pieces of flimsi. “Hello, men,” she greeted them pleasantly. “I do hope you have an explanation for this.”

“The men wanted to see you spar,” Eaves explained. “That’s all.”

“That’s all? So you two didn’t spread the news of the match and organize bets on who would win?” Leilani questioned, tone still pleasant.

“Ah…well…”

“Next time, let me know ahead of time, and I’ll use more flashy moves, maybe draw the match out a bit,” she told them. The four clones exchanged stunned looks.

“General?” Anooba was the first one to recover.

“Well, I know Herring Company enjoys gambling using chores and such as stakes. As long as everything is fair and no actual money exchanges hands, I don’t think it’s technically against regulations,” Leilani explained. “Besides, you guys deserve some fun sometimes.” Then she turned and walked away, leaving the clones gaping after her.

“Did you just approve betting pools among your soldiers?” Marva asked, amusement evident, wen Leilani reached her fellow Jedi.

“Of course not. But if they want to exchange duties because of who was right or not, who am I to object?” Leilani answered. Jada grinned.

“Did any of your troops bet against you?” the Padawan asked.

“I didn’t ask,” Leilani answered, not mentioning that from their reactions to her victory, she was pretty sure that Mocker of Fifth Unit, Mouse of First Unit, Twins and Dual from Fourth Unit, and Iso and Haz from Third Unit had bet against her.

“As if you need to ask,” Gavin snorted. “You’re a mind reader.”

“No, I’m not. And I’ve been teaching my men to shield their minds,” Leilani added.

“Still, you must have some idea,” Jada pressed. Leilani shrugged.

“It’s irrelevant. If any of them did bet against me, that doesn’t affect how I see them,” she told her friends. “Besides, if there’s never doubt, there can be no learning and growth of faith, no discovery or greater understanding.” Gavin groaned.

“You sound like-“

“Like what, Padawan?” Ayeh asked, tone forbidding. Gavin hesitated; even though he was taller than his Master, he didn’t want to offend her. After all, she was perfectly capable of making sure he didn't get to go on any fun missions for the rest of the war. 

“Like a wise and knowledgeable Jedi?” he tried.

“Nice save,” Jada muttered. Gavin shot her a sharp look, and she just smiled innocently.

“General Cathmore!” The Jedi stopped and turned to Commander Float of Herring Company, who was jogging toward them. “One of your contacts on Kothlis called in. They’ve sighted our Bothan friend at one of the spaceports!” Marva frowned.

“Fey’yla went back to Kothlis?” she muttered. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe he did it because he knew we wouldn’t expect him to,” Jada suggested. Marva nodded thoughtfully.

“That could be it. Float, gather Herring Company. We’re going to Kothlis immediately,” the Jedi Master announced. Float saluted, then hurried away. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stay longer, Leilani.”

“Just catch him,” Leilani replied. “As long as he’s free, he’s a threat.”

“We’ll get him,” Jada assured her. “If anyone can catch a Bothan who doesn’t want to be found, it’s us, and you know it.”

“May the Force be with you,” Leilani said softly.

“And with you,” Marva responded. Then she and her Padawan left. For a moment, Leilani watched them, before shaking her head and turning to Ayeh and Gavin.

“You two should see if you’ve gotten your orders officially yet,” Leilani suggested. “I’ll walk you to the command center if you want.”

“I think we can find our way,” Ayeh said. “It looks like one of your men wants to talk to you.” Leilani turned and found Leon waiting, lazy grin in place. Gavin and his Master walked away, and Leilani raised an eyebrow at Leon.

“Thanks to you, I don’t have to do paperwork for a week, General,” the Captain informed her.

“You bet on me, then?” she guessed. Leon tilted his head.

“Of course, General. My money’s always on you – figuratively, of course – and that goes for more than just a sparring match,” he said casually. “I don’t know how good those spy Jedi are, but if anyone’s going to catch Zeich, I think it’s going to be you.” Leilani blinked. “Think about it. He’s shown interest in Barab One, and Fractal’s here. He’ll be back, and when he shows his ugly face here, you’ll get him. And we’ll have your back.”

“You’re awfully confident,” she observed.

“Of course. You’re our General. Even the ones who bet against you in the sparring match have faith that in battle, you’ll lead us to victory,” Leon said, his tone implying she should have known this, and Leilani was reminded of what Fractal and Scratch had told her.

This wasn’t just a home she’d chosen for herself, or been assigned to. Her men believed in her; her new home was choosing her, too.

* * *

 

Leilani stepped off the gunship and onto the surface of Barab One the next morning, Fractal at her side. Shaka-ka narrowed his eyes at the clone, but didn’t say anything about his presence.

“Welcome back, Jedi,” the Barabel greeted her. “Thisss one iss pleased to ssee the Cathmore one iss not here.”

“Master Cathmore was only here temporarily, Representative. I am still the Jedi charged with protecting this system,” Leilani assured him. Ayeh and Gavin had already been picked up by the  _ Tolerance _ , leaving Leilani as the sole Jedi in the system.

“Thisss one iss pleased by your words,” Shaka-ka replied. “And honored by your visssit. Now that thisss one iss reassssured that you have returned, what can thiss one do for you?”

“Did Master Cathmore mention a Force-sensitive presence on Barab One?” Leilani asked. Shaka-ka’s reptilian eyes were steady, but Leilani could sense the Barabel’s hesitation.

“The Cathmore one mentioned sssenssing sssuch a thing, yesss,” Shaka-ka answered. “But thisss one assssuresss the Jedi that only Barabelsss are here.”

“Force-sensitive Barabels are rare, but they do exist,” Leilani pointed out calmly. “Could there be one on the planet now?”

“If there issss a one like you sssay, thisss one would have to asssk what the Jedi would do with that one,” he replied seriously. “Thessse oness, the Barabelsss, respect the Jedi’s judgementsss, but thessse oness wisssh for their children to be raisssed knowing their home iss here.” So what Master Cathmore had sensed  _ was _ a Force-sensitive child among the Barabels.

“Representative…Shaka-ka. I know that all parents want their children to know the traditions of their people, and to love their home world. But for Force-sensitive children, training is necessary,” Leilani said. She wished she had thought to ask the Council or even Master Ayeh or Cathmore what to do if it did turn out to be a child. Leilani wasn’t a recruiter; she wasn’t trained on how to convince families that giving their children to the Jedi for training was a good idea. “Without it, the children could accidentally hurt themselves or others. But our younglings at the Temple learn the traditions of many people, and once they become Padawans, they have the chance to travel and learn with their Masters.” Shaka-ka sighed.

“If the Jedi believesss sssending the child to be trained isss the bessst thing to do, thisss one will do asss the Jedi ssayss,” he told her. “Thisss one wasss planning to tell you when you came to visssit, but did not want the Cathmore one involved.” Leilani nodded her understanding, though she sensed Fractal was confused by the whole conversation. He wasn’t trained for this, either, Leilani knew.

“Fractal, there is a Force-sensitive Barabel child. Representative Shaka-ka wanted to test me, to make sure I would make a decision based on what I thought was best for the child. Hence the hesitation and questions,” she explained softly.

“The Jedi one isss correct,” Shaka-ka agreed. “Thisss one wantsss to trussst you, but thisss one wasss not sssure.”

“I promise that the child will be safe and cared for,” Leilani said. “Will you arrange for the child to be brought here?”

“Thisss one hass already done that,” Shaka-ka replied. “Can you not sssenssse her?”

“I didn’t want to impose and reach out without invitation,” Leilani said. “I’ve been keeping my awareness to myself.”

“Is that why you explained out loud?” Fractal whispered. Leilani shook her head.

“No, that was because I don’t want to upset you by reaching into your mind,” she murmured back.

“Thisss one isss glad that sssuch a consssiderate Jedi hasss come for thissss one’sss daughter,” Shaka-ka said, having overheard the whispers between Jedi and clone.

“Your daughter?” Leilani repeated. “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

“Thisss one’sss mate, SSSenator Svir-tu, entrusssted the young one’s fate to thisss one,” Shaka-ka explained. “SSvir-tu isss unable to be here, but ssshe wasss confident in thiss one and in you, Jedi.”

“I understand. Is the child inside?” Leilani asked, nodding to the large den-like home visible at the other end of the clearing they were standing in.

“Yesss. Thiss one will call that one,” the representative said. Then he lifted his voice. “Sirva-ka! Come to thisss one!” A moment later, a young Barabel child no taller than Leilani’s hip scampered out of the den and over to Shaka-ka’s side. “Remember, thisss one told you about the Jedi?” The child nodded, her reptilian eyes darting from her father to Leilani and back.

“Hello, Sirva-ka,” Leilani greeted the young Barabel.

“Hello, Jedi one,” the girl replied shyly. Leilani crouched and held a hand out to her. Sirva-ka glanced at her father for permission, and when he nodded, she stepped forward and took the human’s hand. Leilani allowed her awareness to spread out from herself, letting herself sense the girl for the first time. The child was a brilliant light in the Force, her presence strong and fierce, if young.

“The Force is strong with you, little one,” Leilani said gently. “I would like for you to come with me, and I’ll make arrangements for you to go to the Jedi Temple. How does that sound?”

“Thisss one agreesss,” the child said solemnly. Leilani released the girl’s hand, and Shaka-ka scooped his daughter up and hugged her tightly.

“Thisss one knows the Jedi like to find them while they are younger,” Shaka-ka whispered. “But thisss one hopesss thisss one’sss daughter will be accepted.”

“She’ll be in good hands,” Leilani promised. Shaka-ka reluctantly held the reptilian child out, and Leilani carefully took the child in her arms.

“Thisss one iss unsssure if you can make thisss promissse,” he began, “but thisss one would be happy if you would train thisss one’sss daughter when the time comesss.” Leilani smiled softly and nodded.

“If I am the best fit for Sirva-ka’s Master, then I will teach her when she’s ready,” the Knight promised. “And if there is someone better suited to teach her than I am, I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she’d doing well.”

“Thisss one thanksss you,” Shaka-ka said. “Pleassse visssit again sssoon, Jedi.”

“I will. I’ll contact you once she’s settled in,” Leilani told him. Then she nodded to Fractal, and they boarded the gunship. “Cloud, take us back to the  _ Selfless _ .” As the ship rose, Sirva-ka wriggled in Leilani’s arms. “Shh, little one. I need you to stay still for a few minutes.” The young Barabel quieted, staring up at Leilani with trusting eyes.

“Wait til Scratch finds out you brought a Barabel on board,” Fractal murmured. “According to Eaves, it was a misunderstanding with Shaka-ka that got the Commander that scar on his face.” Leilani blinked.

“No wonder he said he wasn’t the representative’s favorite clone,” she mused. “Well, Sirva-ka won’t be a permanent fixture on the  _ Selfless _ unless this war goes on a lot longer than it should. She’ll be a Temple youngling for at least two years before she’d old enough to become a Padawan.”

“I’m sure Scratch will be pleased to hear that,” Fractal commented. Leilani shook her head at him and bounced the child in her arms gently.

“Even Scratch will have to admit she’s cute,” the Knight replied as Sirva-ka giggled and chirped happily. 

“If you say so, Leilani,” Fractal said with a shrug.


	11. Doesn't Mean It's Never Been This Way Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeich returns, with devastating consequences.

Leilani carried Sirva-ka to the command center, Fractal on her heels. Clones stared as they passed, astonished by the little Barabel in the Jedi’s arms. When they reached the command center, Bone and Flare were there. Their conversation stopped as soon as they saw Leilani.

“General…that’s a Barabel,” Bone said carefully.

“Yes, she is. Flare, could you connect me to the Jedi Council, please?” Leilani asked. The comm officer nodded and stepped up to the holotable. Leilani turned to Bone. “Could you hold Sirva-ka for me?” The medic eyed the little Barabel warily. She stared up at him, wide-eyed, then reached out. He carefully took her and held her awkwardly, unsure what to do. Luckily, the child curled her clawed fingers around his shoulder to support herself. A moment later, a hologram of Master Plo Koon appeared.

“Greetings, Master Plo,” Leilani said. “I’ve found a Force-sensitive child on Barab One. Her parents are Senator Svir-tu and Representative Shaka-ka.” Leilani beckoned to Bone, who stepped into the area the holotable would transmit images from. “Her name is Sirva-ka.”

“And her parents willingly turned her over to you?” Plo questioned.

“Yes. I think their child’s Force sensitivity might actually be part of the reason Svir-tu appointed her mate Representative and requested a Jedi presence,” Leilani added. “Should I escort the child to Coruscant myself, or would the Council rather dispatch an escort for her?”

“We’ll send someone to pick her up,” Plo decided. “If you can keep her happy until we can get someone out to you-“

“General! The  _ Blemish _ just entered the system!” Flare shouted. Leilani scowled.

“Dispatch the pilots in their fighters! Destroy that ship!” she ordered.

“Yes, General!”

“Odelia, what’s going on?” Plo demanded.

“Master Plo, I’m afraid we have to send Sirva-ka on a shuttle instead of waiting for anyone to come get her,” Leilani said grimly. “The Bothan is back. Bone, take the kid to the hangar. Zeich’s run on the planet before was probably to get at her. Get on a shuttle and take her to Coruscant.”

“Alone?” Bone eyed the reptilian child skeptically. “I don’t know if I can keep an eye on her and fly at the same time.”

“Then take Fractal with you,” Leilani replied.

“I’m not leaving. If Zeich can’t sense me or the kid, he’ll leave again,” Fractal pointed out. The Jedi frowned, but nodded.

“Fine. Flare, you go instead,” she decided. “I’m trusting you two to get her there safely.”

“You can count on us, General,” Flare assured her. “Come on, Bone.” The two clones left quickly, and Leilani turned to Fractal.

“If you’re going to stay here, I want you in one of the safe rooms,” Leilani told him. “Zeich will be able to sense you, but you’ll be safe. You’re not cleared for active duty, remember?” she added when he looked uncertain.

“Odelia, did you just send a Barabel child on a shuttle with two clones?” Plo asked.

“Yes, Master, and I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Leilani said. “My pilots are probably out there headed for the  _ Blemish _ right now, and I need to be there with them.” Before he could reply, she deactivated the holotable. “Fractal, safe room. Go.”

“All right. But don’t do anything too risky, okay, Leilani?” he replied.

“I’ll do what I have to, Fractal. But I’ll be back once Zeich is dealt with,” she assured them. Fractal saluted, then left. Leilani took off toward the hangar. She reached out with the Force and sensed her pilots guiding their fighters out of the hangar. A moment later, she sensed Flare, Bone, and Sirva-ka on a shuttle, also exiting the hangar. The fighters turned toward the  _ Blemish, _ which was surrounded by Darth Zeich’s angry, icy-electric energy. The shuttle angled away, then jumped to hyperspace, its passengers’ presences vanishing. Leilani reached the hangar and raced to her fighter, which Dee had already prepped. Leilani settled into the cockpit and opened the comm channels as she maneuvered her fighter out into the vacuum.

“Mantis Squadron, fire when ready!” The order came through loud and clear.

“Roger that. Mantis Fourteen taking point!” Leilani shook her head, reaching out and sensing Vacuum’s excitement and determination.

“Careful, Mantis Fourteen,” Leilani said. “We don’t know what that ship’s weapons are like.”

“Relax, General. He can’t take all of us,” came the reply.

“I don’t want any casualties, you hear me?” she told them firmly. “We do this quick and clean, no showing off.”

“Yes, General,” the pilots chorused.

“Mantis One, resuming point. Mantis Fourteen, return to your place in the formation,” Jet ordered. The clones’ fighters were closer to the  _ Blemish _ , already in attack range. “Ready, boys?”

“Always, Mantis One,” answered another pilot – Strafe, if Leilani was sensing their presences correctly. “Let’s vape this guy.” The first three fighters swooped toward the merchant ship, lasers spitting fire that was absorbed harmlessly by the shields.

“Mantis Four, try torpedoes,” Jet advised, leading the pilots flanking him – Strafe and Swoop – in a wide banking turn. The next three approached, launching their torps as soon as they had a target lock. The shields flickered with the impact. Third Unit’s pilots were next, also firing torpedoes. Then Fourth Unit. The shields finally broke, and Fifth Unit’s pilots switched back to lasers. Explosions erupted along the  _ Blemish’s _ hull as Mantis One, Two, and Three came back around for their second run and Leilani’s fighter reached the fray. She reached out, searching for Zeich’s location on the ship.

_ Hello again, General. _ Leilani tensed. Zeich had noticed her.

_ You shouldn’t have come back, _ she snapped.  _ My pilots are about to destroy your ship. _

_ Well, they’re about to destroy the  _ Blemish, _ yes…but I’m not too worried, _ he replied. Leilani’s eyes narrowed, locating the source of his electric energy. His presence crackled in the cargo hold.  _ I have my fighter. And once your people think they’ve won by destroying the  _ Blemish _ , I’ll eliminate them easily. Clone pilots are no match for me. _

_ We’ll see, _ Leilani growled.

“Destroy the  _ Blemish, _ but stay sharp! He’s got a fighter!” Leilani said.

“Copy that, General.” Jet, Strafe, and Swoop were beginning their second run. The  _ Blemish _ ’s power flickered, and then the ship was dead in space. As the three clones soared along the ship’s side, the cargo bay opened.

“Jet! Swoop! Strafe! He’s coming out behind you!” Leilani warned, angling her own fighter to cover them as a sleek one-man fighter emerged from the corpse of the  _ Blemish, _ directly behind the three clones. “Evasive action!” The three split, and the other pilots regrouped, ready to support whoever Zeich’s fighter pursued.

It was Jet. The Bothan chased the clone, fighter spinning and darting, avoiding the laserfire of the other pilots as they tried to come to their brother’s aid. Leilani urged her fighter forward, chasing the Bothan as he chased Jet, who was doing everything he could to shake the enemy.

Laughter and amusement flared in the Force.

_ This will be too easy, _ Zeich complained. Then he guided his fighter a bit to the left, dodging Leilani’s attempt to shoot him down, then spun to the right, his lasers spitting fire.

Jet’s fighter didn’t dodge in time.

Leilani screamed.

Mantis One exploded.

Zeich’s fighter flew through the cloud of flame, and Leilani followed, grief crashing over her as she fired blindly.

_ Which of your pilots should I kill next, General? _ Zeich asked.  _ I wasn’t planning to use violence, but since you attacked first, you can’t complain about how many of your people I wipe out, can you? _

_ I will destroy you, _ Leilani promised, baring her teeth.

_ This one, then, _ Zeich decided, spinning his fighter around and shooting past Leilani, who turned just in time to see him now chasing Vortex’s fighter.  _ Unless you’d like to call them off so you and I can have a chat. _

_ You won’t get a second of my pilots, _ Leilani snapped. She reached out to Vortex.  _ He’s targeting you. Want to try linking? We’ll take him down, _ she told him.

_ Sure thing, General. _ Vortex’s shields dropped for an instant, and Leilani eased her mind into the connection, until she could sense every thought, impulse, and sensation Vortex had, and her own feelings were relayed to him. They guided their fighters in sync, Vortex whirling his and firing, trapping the Bothan between his own fighter and Leilani’s. Their movements, thoughts, everything was done together.

Neither of them was alone, and Leilani felt a fierce joy shoot through her. She hadn’t linked with anyone in…well, it had been a long time. She’d linked with her Master, and with that connection, they had been invincible. But her Master had left on a mission without her, and never come back.

The emptiness when her Master died had nearly destroyed her. She hadn’t been able to connect mentally with anyone for months, and being caught between the fear of someone else dying after that connection and the need to communicate on that level had nearly destroyed her.

She’d found a new home, new connections, with Marva and Jada, but it hadn’t lasted. It couldn’t last. Jada was Marva’s Padawan, and while they both cared about Leilani, there hadn’t been room for her as a permanent part of their bond. The string of mentors that had followed came with mixed results. Some of them, Leilani connected with so easily and deeply that when she had to move on, she was torn apart again. Others, she couldn’t understand or communicate with.

She hadn’t dared link with Smoke Squad, because they were Marva’s soldiers, not Leilani’s. She’d known that arrangement was temporary. But this. With her own soldiers. As long as she could protect them, they wouldn’t abandon her. They accepted her, supported her.

So this link with Vortex was filled with joy, determination, everything Leilani loved about her connection talent. They moved seamlessly, as Vortex was used to working with others, though maybe not at this level.

_ Let’s do this, General, _ Vortex said, and Leilani grinned.

_ Interesting tactic, General, _ Zeich commented, dulling the joy but only strengthening their determination to take him down before he hurt another pilot.

_ I can hear him, _ Vortex realized.  _ Gross. _

_ Focus. We take him down. Together, _ Leilani replied.

_ That’s cute, _ Zeich cooed. His fighter dove, spun, and shot upward again, beneath Vortex’s ship.

_ Dodge! _ The thought shot through the link, and Vortex jerk at the controls, fear lancing through their joined minds.

Too late.

Leilani felt the impact, felt the fighter jolt, then there was nothing but heat, then…nothingness.

Her mind grasped blindly, searching for the other half of the link, for Vortex.

_ No. No. No no no nononono! _

Not again. She couldn’t have lost her connection again.

_ Vortex! _ He didn’t answer. He couldn’t answer.

He was gone, his presence in the Force - his mind mingling with hers - nothing more than a memory. 

Leilani screamed, not sure if she was actually making noise or not. And did it really matter? With Vortex’s death during a link, a piece of her own mind, her very being, had been ripped away. Her mind felt shredded, raw, exposed. Alone. Vulnerable.

Grief clawed at the edges of her mind while empty, aching loneliness gaped inside.

_ Will you listen to me now, General? _ Zeich asked.  _ If not, I will kill every single one of your pilots. Then I will go after the  _ Selfless. _ I haven’t had a chance to try destroying a cruiser single-handedly before. _ Between the grief and emptiness, anger ignited, the heat of it chasing back that horrible emptiness. He’d killed Vortex, killed Jet. She’d let him kill them.

The anger changed direction. She wasn’t angry with the Bothan. She was angry with herself. She hadn’t protected them. But the Bothan was offering her a way to prevent more death, at least for now.

_ Stop! _ Leilani lashed out mentally, attacking his mind with her own, furious that she had lost Jet and Vortex.  _ Just die already! _ Maybe if the Bothan was dead, she’d feel better. In her head, she knew that it wouldn’t help. She knew that this anger, this…hatred…went against everything she’d grown up believing. But if she let go of her anger right now, the grief and loneliness would tear her in half. So she clung to it.

_ How hateful, Jedi, _ Zeich mused.  _ So much emotion…you would make a good Sith. _

_ I’m going to rip you apart, _ Leilani hissed, the anger making her feel fierce and not as broken.

_ Not before I erase your pilots from existence,  _ he countered, turning his ship to face Strafe’s.

_ No! _ she started to reach out, about to link with Strafe. But linking hadn't saved Vortex, and it wouldn't protect the others, especially with her consciousness to full of pain and fury. Leilani seethed, but she refused to lose any more of her people. She’d let him have his conversation, and she’d use the time to figure out what to do.  _ Fine. What do you want? _

_ Call off your pilots. I’ll wait for you on Barab One’s moon. There’s a thin atmosphere, so we’ll be able to talk somewhat comfortably, _ the Bothan said. His fighter flipped, then soared away toward the moon. The clones’ fighters started to pursue.

“Mantis Squadron, return to the  _ Selfless, _ ” Leilani ordered grimly, barely noticing the rough, raw quality of her words or the corresponding pain in her throat. “He’s headed for the moon. We’ll pick up the rest of the 305 th and go there.”

_ Yes, do bring your troops. It will make our talk more interesting, _ Zeich encouraged.  _ Bring all the soldiers you want. Just make sure Fractal is one of them. Otherwise, I’ll kill whoever you bring immediately. _

Leilani’s jaw clenched.

_ I understand, _ she hissed.

“ _ Selfless, _ acknowledge. Did you hear me?” she asked.

“Yes, General. Are you sure…?”

“Yes. Have the 305 th ready at the gunships when we get back. Fractal, too,” she added, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Yes, General.  _ Selfless  _ out.”

The comms fell silent, and Leilani was left with her own thoughts, her loneliness and grief and hate and that awful, agonizing emptiness. She just wanted to protect them. She couldn’t protect them.

And now she was leading her troops into a situation where they would have to fight Zeich.

But she couldn’t leave them behind, either. She needed their support, and she knew they’d be worried and offended if she made them stay on the cruiser.

Leilani took a tiny amount of solace in the fact that she wouldn’t be as alone as she felt right now when she faced the Bothan, a confrontation she was both looking forward to and dreading. She wanted to end his electric-ice existence, but she didn’t want him to hurt any more of her men.

_ General. _  The thought was hesitant, but thick with grief and rage that matched her own. Her mind was still raw, and allowing even this light connection felt like it might be the last straw that would shatter her being. But she answered anyway.

_ Yes, Storm? _

_ We’re going to get him. For Vortex and Jet. _

Leilani felt a fierce, wild emotion rise in her. Gratitude, vengeance, grief, frustration, all rolled into one. It wasn’t the Jedi way, but it filled the void inside her.

_ Yes, we are. We’re going to end him, _ she replied. And maybe after the Bothan was dead, she would have time to recover.

* * *

 

Leilani nearly fell when she climbed out of her fighter, too consumed with the internal war between grief, anger, emptiness, and everything else to focus on where she was putting her feet. She swayed, reached out to grab the edge of her fighter for support, but it wasn’t there.

Strong, gentle fingers wrapped around her elbow, steadying her. She blinked, half afraid to reach out and see who was supporting her, half eager to connect and try to fill the void that was hollowing her out.

“General?” Leilani tried to say something, tried to tell whoever it was that she was all right.

“Leilani, what happened?” There were two of them, one on each side of her. The second one…it had to be Fractal, since he’d called her by name. She couldn’t reach out mentally to him; no matter how much she was hurting, she wouldn’t do something she knew would make him uncomfortable.

“She started screaming when Vortex…when his ship was destroyed,” a third clone said quietly. “I don’t know what happened, but…” Leilani wrestled with the turmoil she was feeling, fighting for her usual control. These clones were still here. She couldn’t let her reaction to Vortex’s death, to the link being shredded, endanger her men. She focused on the warmth of the hands supporting her, on the concern she could feel trickling into her awareness even though she wasn’t looking to sense anything. Gradually, as she became aware of worried chatter around her, of concern that nearly reached the levels she’d sensed after her Master died, she was able to recall the way her emotions had faded with time after losing that bond.

Only then was she able to regain a semblance of her usual self-control.

“Sorry,” she rasped, realizing that she must have screamed herself hoarse.

“General!” Leilani took a deep breath and glanced at the clones supporting her. Fractal and Crash, she realized.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“What are you apologizing for?” Crash seemed bewildered.

“I couldn’t protect them,” Leilani muttered. “I couldn’t stop him. And now he’s expecting us on Barab One’s moon.” The clones fell silent for a moment.

“Everyone, gear up and head for the gunships. Since we’re two pilots short, we’ll be a little more packed than usual,” Scratch said. “We’re going to get Zeich.” The men saluted, and most of them dispersed. Scratch, Fractal, Leon, Crash, and Rufus hung back.

“You can’t blame yourself every time one of us dies,” Rufus said bluntly. “You’re responsible for making sure we accomplish our missions, not making sure we all come back.” Leilani stared at Third Unit’s Captain, who met her gaze evenly. “Either you trust your men or you don’t. You can’t say you trust us and then blame yourself if one of us dies. Either we’re individuals who are responsible for ourselves or not.” Before Leilani could really register what he was saying, Rufus saluted sharply, then turned on his heel and left.

“He’s right,” Crash muttered. “As much as I hate to agree with him on anything…General, you’re our leader, not our bodyguard. You’ve done so much to help me, to give me a better chance of surviving. Without your meditation stuff, I would’ve died on Colla Four, and I probably would’ve gotten Jump, Bimmi, and Jang killed, too.” Leilani studied the trooper, who suddenly seemed to realize that he was giving advice to someone who outranked him considerably, and fell silent.

“That doesn’t help me feel better,” she sighed. “But you’re right. I know that, in my head. But…”

“It’s something you have to learn in your heart, General,” Scratch told her. “We’re at war. Soldiers die. We’re not saying you shouldn’t grieve, or that you shouldn’t try to bring as many of your troops home as you can, but…”

“I understand,” Leilani assured him. “I thought I had learned after Colla Four.”

“It takes time,” Leon replied. “But right now, it’s time we don’t have.” Leilani nodded.

“We have a job to do,” she agreed. “And Crash?”

“Yes, General?”

“I appreciate you speaking up,” she told him. The trooper relaxed and smiled. The sound of gunship engines firing up told them that the rest of their troops were ready. “One more thing.” The clones paused. “Zeich said I can bring as many troops as I want, as long as one of them is Fractal. And if Fractal isn’t there, he’ll start killing as soon as we show up.”

“But Fractal isn’t cleared for active duty. Couldn’t you use that?” Scratch suggested.

“He killed Vortex because I didn’t agree to meet with him after he killed Jet,” Leilani said grimly. “He needs to think we’re playing along if we’re going to have a chance. But in the end, it’s Fractal’s decision.”

“Then I’m going,” Fractal replied. Leilani studied his expression and found only determination, although she could sense fear trickling out of his mind. Leilani wanted to promise that she would protect him, that she wouldn’t let Zeich hurt him, but she wasn’t sure she should say it out loud, all things considered. She settled for resting on hand on his shoulder for a moment.

“Let’s go, then,” she said. “Scratch, Leon, I want you and the other officers to work with me and figure out how to handle Zeich. He might say he wants to talk, but when this reverts to violence, I want to be ready.”

“Of course, General.” As they all walked toward the waiting gunships, Leilani tentatively extended her awareness, testing the feel of her troops’ general mood.

Her men were grieving for their brothers, but their determination fed her own.

If her men could put aside their emotions and focus on the task at hand, so could she. 


	12. All You Can do is Try to Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leilani confronts Zeich.

 

The gunships set down in a half-circle formation on the surface of Barab One’s moon near Zeich, who was sitting on the ground outside his fighter. Leilani stepped out first, Fractal on one side and Crash on the other. The Third Unit troopers had declared themselves her escort, so Crash, Jump, Bimmi, Trig, and Jang were arrayed around her protectively. Each of the officers gathered their unit and positioned them in and around the gunships, weapons ready. The snipers perched on top of the gunships, and the pilots remained in their cockpits, their ships’ guns locked on Zeich.

“All right, Zeich, you called this little get-together,” Leilani called. “What do you want?” The Bothan stood, feline eyes flickering over her troops.

“I didn’t expect you to bring so many,” he mused, walking toward them. He stopped and held up his hands as every blaster was suddenly trained on him. “And they’re so protective of you, too.”

“You killed Jet and Vortex. They want you dead,” Leilani replied. “And I’m not exactly inclined to stop them.” Zeich frowned.

“Now, where did all that hate and fury from earlier go?” he asked, sounding disappointed with how seemingly calm Leilani was. 

“If you came to talk about my feelings and comment on my men, then can we get to the killing-or-capturing you part?” Leilani replied sharply.

“Actually, I would like to propose a trade with you, General,” Zeich said. “I have information that can help you, and all I ask in return in that you hand dear, damaged little Captain Fractal over to me.” Leilani shook her head.

“If we capture you, you’ll tell us anything you know eventually. If we kill you instead, then at least you won’t be able to kill any more of my men,” she told him. “No deal.”

“Your men are going to turn on you, General,” the Bothan said evenly.

“Ridiculous,” Leilani replied, lifting her hand to signal to her troops to prepare to fire.

“They won’t want to, but they’ll do it anyway,” he continued. “They won’t have a choice; Kaminoans take no chances, and Sidious is irritatingly thorough with his planning.” Leilani frowned, hesitating. “There are chips in your soldiers’ heads, General. When Sidious is done using the Jedi, he will use those chips to force your soldiers to execute you.” Just like that, her hesitation was gone.

“I don’t believe you,” she said flatly. “I trust my men, and I have no reason to believe what you’re saying. You have no proof.”

“Well, not since you destroyed the  _ Blemish, _ ” Zeich sighed. “I had the chip I removed from Fractal on that ship, but didn’t have time to get it before your pilots blew it up.”

“You’d think you would have kept such an important item with you,” Leilani pointed out. She started to lower her hand, but uncertainty spiked in Fractal’s mind.

“Leilani...I don’t remember much about what happened when he captured me. But I do remember pain in my head, even before that blasted helmet,” Fractal said quietly. “I don’t know if he’s telling the truth, but if there’s even the slightest chance that he’s right, the information he has could save your life.”

“Fractal, there’s no way this Sidious guy could put chips in anyone. For all we know, it’s just a name Zeich made up,” Leilani insisted.

“I’m not willing to take that risk. Not after everything you’ve done for me, how much you’ve grown just in the last few days, and how much potential you have,” Fractal replied. Fear lanced through the Knight. He couldn’t really be planning to hand himself over to Zeich, could he?

“Fractal’s right, General,” Crash put in grimly. “If it were me the Bothan wanted, I would cooperate if there was a chance it would help you.” Leilani glared at them both.

“Absolutely not. You can’t be suggesting that a potential threat to me is worth anyone willingly walking into Zeich’s clutches,” she growled, irritated rather than disbelieving now.

“It’s not a suggestion, General. You said it was my choice whether to come or not,” Fractal reminded her. Leilani tensed at his use of her title rather than her name. “Well, this is my choice, too.”

“Fractal, you can’t really be considering going to him,” the Jedi protested, suddenly afraid. There was no way, right? He wouldn’t let Zeich win. “Not after what he did to you.”

“General,” Fractal sighed, his calm expression fracturing but his determination not wavering in the slightest. “Leilani. I’m not considering it. I’ve already decided.” Leilani grabbed his arm.

“I can’t let you do this,” she said. “Fractal, I can’t let you.” Fractal lifted his hand and placed his own shaking fingers over Leilani’s. 

“Please, Leilani. If he’s right…”

“If he’s right, then we’ll figure it out, all of us together!” she snapped. “If you go to him, he wins!”

“No. He only wins if you get nothing out of it,” Fractal replied as he gently lifted her hand from his arm. Leilani’s fingers clenched around his arm, then went limp. She could hold him in place with the Force, but what if Zeich attacked? She wouldn’t be able to stop him and concentrate on Fractal at the same time. He wasn’t listening to her words, and she refused to use her mental abilities to try to force him to change his mind.

“Listen to Fractal, General,” Zeich urged. “He’s the only one not brainwashed anymore.”

“I’ll show you brainwashed,” Trig growled, firing his weapon twice. Zeich calmly held out a hand, and the lasers froze in midair.

“Foolish,” the Bothan commented, and the lasers suddenly retraced their paths. Leilani reacted instinctively, throwing herself sideways and pushing Trig out of the way. Pain lanced through her shoulder, and she hissed. Before she could even register the fact that at least one of the shots had hit her, the air was filled with blue laserfire as her troops opened fire. Zeich growled and extended both hands, stopping the hail of lasers in its tracks. Before he could send them back toward the troops, Fractal stepped forward, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

“Enough. Don’t hurt them,” Fractal said. “I’ll go with you, but you have to let Leilani and her men go. And you have to tell her everything you know about the chips.”

“Fractal! Don’t!” Leilani shouted, holding her injured shoulder as she straightened and opened up her awareness, tuning out the pain of her wound with the rush of input from the Force. 

“I’m sorry, Leilani,” he said. Then he turned and walked toward Zeich, who twitched his wrists and sent the laserfire hurtling harmlessly into space.

“I agree to your terms, clone,” the Bothan announced triumphantly. When Fractal reached the furred alien, Zeich reached up and tapped the side of the Captain’s head lightly. “This is where the chips are located. You can deactivate them if you’re careful, or have them surgically removed.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Leilani snapped. “Fractal, get back here immediately!” When the Captain didn’t move, Leilani felt her eyes water. She tried to pretend it was pain from her wound, but with the Force rushing through her and dulling that discomfort, she knew it was a much deeper agony that caused it. Grief stirred in the pit of her stomach. She was being left again. Her Master had left her behind because that mission was too dangerous. Yaddle had probably known she wasn't coming back, but Leilani hadn’t. Instead, she had woken up with an emptiness in the Force where her Master’s bonfire-bright presence had been. She couldn’t keep her Master from leaving her behind, and now she couldn't even keep Fractal from sacrificing himself. A tentative sense of apology drifted through the Force to her from Fractal, but Leilani didn’t know how to respond, so she didn’t.

She turned her back to the Bothan and the clone at his side. Her gaze scanned her ground troops, and she realized that Second Unit was a man short. Shadow was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn’t sense him easily. She didn’t dare search for him, in case Zeich noticed. Her eyes lifted to the tops of the gunships, where the snipers were perched. Crosshairs’ targeting array was slightly off – not enough to notice if you didn’t know how the mess of equipment usually lined up with the barrel of his weapon - but he was definitely tracking something besides Zeich’s movements.

It seemed that Shadow had decided to go ahead with the idea Leon had suggested on the way over from the  _ Selfless _ .

Leilani focused her awareness, felt her men’s confidence and determination. She wondered briefly if they’d been using their internal comms, the ones no one without a helmet could hear.

“Hey, Darth,” Leilani called lightly, letting her troops’ emotions steady her. “We didn’t finish our discussion on whether I would capture you or kill you.”

“You’ve seen my power, General, and I’ve made an agreement with Fractal here. Attacking me with the intent to do either will only result in death for your men,” the Bothan replied. “And considering your feelings after I killed your pilots, I don’t think you want any more of them to die.”

“I trust them to take you down,” the Jedi said, more for her own benefit and her men’s than for the Bothan. “And I trust them to do it without dying.”

“Even knowing about the chips?”

“Of course,” Leilani answered calmly, still facing her troops. “The 305 th is my elite legion. I may not be very confident in myself and my ability to protect them yet, but I trust them utterly.”

“So you won’t let me keep my agreement with Fractal. How…regrettable,” Zeich sighed. Leilani sensed his presence crackle and surge, and whirled around, but too late.

The Bothan was almost on top of her, having augmented his speed with the Force. Leilani reached for her lightsaber even as a crimson blade extended from the hilt in Zeich’s hands. He had a lightsaber, too, and he was swinging it in a short, brutal slash meant to slice her in half.

Crash threw himself sideways, mirroring the way Leilani had pushed Trig aside earlier, and Leilani stumbled and barely managed to throw her hands up in a shoving motion, augmented with the Force, before it was a split second too late.

The crimson blade bit into Crash’s armor, and the trooper yelled in pain in the same instant Leilani’s Force push hit Zeich, throwing him through the air, all the way back to his fighter. Crash would have crumpled to the ground, but Jang and Bimmi surged forward to catch him. The Bothan landed, eyes glittering and Force presence lighting up with interest.

“You should find better armor if you want your troops to survive,” Zeich called. “Clones are such delicate things.”

“You’re right, they probably should have better armor,” Leilani called back. “Maybe I can sell your pelt to pay for it!”

“Your determination and faith in your men is impressive, General. You’re quite the little lioness when it comes to them, aren’t you?” There was a pause, and Zeich tilted his head. “You would make an excellent Sith, you know. All of that emotion could free you from-”

“I’m a Jedi, and a General. And I’m going to make sure you’re punished for what you’ve done,” Leilani interrupted. Something moved behind the Bothan. “Starting right now.” Before Zeich could figure out what she meant, Shadow rose from a slight dip in the ground and fired. Zeich collapsed, lightsaber falling from his hands.

There was a moment of silence. Then Shadow stepped forward and fired again before prodding the limp form with his foot.

“Please tell me you killed him!” Swoop called from his cockpit.

“Sorry, brother. He’s just stunned,” Shadow replied, picking up the Bothan’s lightsaber and clipping it to his own utility belt.

“Get binders on him, and sedate him,” Leilani ordered. As her troops moved to obey, she turned fearfully toward where Crash was now carefully laid out on the ground, Stitch kneeling beside him. “Stitch?”

“He’s alive, General. If you hadn’t flung Zeich when you did, Crash would’ve been sliced in half. As it is, the wound is shallow and cauterized, but the armor is melted to his skin,” the medic told her. “Let’s get him on one of the gunships, boys. He needs to get to the infirmary immediately.” Leilani swayed, relief washing over her. Crash was alive.

“You should have someone look at that,” Scratch said, walking up to her and gesturing to her injured shoulder. Leilani grimaced and rolled her arm, testing the wound in an attempt to prove she was fine. She bit back a yelp as the pain, and looked away from Scratch’s knowing look. 

“Later. I want Zeich secured and sedated as heavily as possible until I contact the Council and find out what they want done with him,” she replied. “And could someone let the  _ Selfless _ know we’re on our way with a prisoner and an injured trooper?”

“Static’s already on it,” Scratch answered. Several troopers walked past them, hauling the unconscious Bothan. Bacc walked alongside them, sorting through his kit of med supplies, undoubtedly deciding what to sedate their prisoner with. With Zeich under control and Crash in the care of Stitch, Leilani turned her attention toward the Bothan’s fighter.

“Shadow!” she called. The scout jogged over.

“Yes, General?” He seemed nervous, and Leilani remembered that technically she hadn’t authorized the tactics that had been used to take down Zeich.

“You’re amazing,” she informed him. “He didn’t sense you coming at all.” She put her hand on his shoulder approvingly, and felt him relax. “We’ll have to try getting the other scouts to learn that again,” she added. “Just in case.”

“Will do, General!” Shadow saluted, then made his way to the waiting gunships. Leilani sensed another clone approaching and looked up.

“Fractal.” All she said was his name, but her tone must have conveyed the emotions she’d forced down when she realized what Shadow and the others were up to, because Scratch moved away, and her assistant visibly tensed.

“I did what I had to do, General,” he told her. “And I would do it again.” Leilani scowled suddenly, unable to keep her emotions in check any longer.

“Don’t ever throw your life away on a potential threat!” she snapped. “What if Zeich had killed you as soon as you got close enough? What if he hadn’t agreed, and had sent those lasers back because he got what he wanted?”

“I stand by my decision. You’re our General; your safety is important,” he stated rigidly. “Besides, it worked out.” Leilani stared at him, her anger still simmering beneath the surface, but temporarily eclipsed with confusion. She’d sensed his fear; his fingers had been shaking when he’d removed her hand from his arm. He’d known everything she’d just said, but he’d still done it. To protect her.

“Don’t you value your own life?” she asked, her distress making her voice shake.

“Of course. But, Leilani…” Fractal trailed off, searching for words. “Look. I want to stick around and do what I can to help you become the General I know you can be. I want to support you. But I’m also prepared to die if that’s what it takes to keep you safe. You have so much potential, we clones can see it, even if we’re not Jedi. It’s barely been a week and a half, and your men are already fiercely loyal to you. You’re like…a little sister. Or maybe an older sister in some ways?” He shrugged, tension still radiating from him, now tinged with…was that embarrassment?

Leilani wasn’t sure what to make of his words. A sister? She knew the clones regarded each other as brothers, and she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with this admission that at least one of them saw her as a sister.

She had no family; the closest she had to siblings were Gavin and Jada.

But then…she’d accepted the idea that the 305 th , the  _ Selfless, _ being a General, all of it was her life, her home, now.

She should have known that a home as warm as this, with the pain of loss as sharp as the agony she’d felt when her men died, would come with the label of family.

“General? Leilani? Are you okay? I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t upset you, I just…” Fractal trailed off, and it took Leilani a second to figure out what had caused the sudden shift in his tone. Then she felt warm dampness on her cheeks and lifted a hand to her face.

She was crying. She quickly wiped the tears away.

“I’m fine, Fractal. I was just so worried, and then you go and say something like that,” she explained, her voice cracking. “I’m just…relieved. And happy. And I’m still mad at you.”

“Hey! You might be a Captain, but if you’ve made the General cry…” The growl came from Hunter, one of the snipers, who had approached without Leilani noticing.

“I’m all right, Hunter. Just some dust in my eye,” Leilani assured him. The sniper gave Fractal a skeptical look, then punched his shoulder.

“Don’t pull a stunt like that again,” Hunter ordered. “The General has enough to worry about without you going off on your own and worrying her more!” Fractal rubbed his shoulder, trying to decide how to respond, but Hunter turned and left before he could, calling over his shoulder, “We’re ready to move out when you are, General!”

Leilani’s lips quirked into a shaky smile. 

“Let’s go home, Fractal,” she said. “We can talk about this once everything’s settled.” He nodded, and together they made their way back to the gunships.

“Make sure you let the medics have a look at your shoulder,” he told her. Leilani made a face at him, and sensed his surprise.

“You’re definitely an overprotective and headstrong big brother,” she informed him, trying for a light tone as they reached the gunship and boarded.

“Thanks, I think,” he replied. Quieter, so the other passengers wouldn’t hear, he added, “I really am sorry for worrying you. I just…didn’t know what else to do.”

“I understand,” she assured him. “But please listen to Hunter and don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.”

“Yes, sir,” Fractal agreed. “Unless it’s necessary.” Leilani glared at him and started to respond, but the gunship lifted into the air at that moment, and she reminded herself that this conversation could wait until everyone was back on the  _ Selfless _ , and she’d gotten the whole Zeich thing taken care of.

* * *

 

“You were told explicitly not to pursue the Bothan,” Mace Windu’s hologram said sternly.

“I didn’t pursue him. He came after one of my men, and killed two of my pilots. So I confronted him, and my men captured him. I didn’t disobey orders, and I got some information from him before my men took him down,” Leilani said. Windu’s expression remained stern, but his shoulders didn’t seem as stiff. “Zeich claims that there are chips in the clones’ heads that would let someone called Sidious use them to kill the Jedi.”

“That is troubling, if it is true. But can we trust information from a Bothan who claims to be a Sith?”

“I don’t know. But my men are worried, and I don’t want to take the risk of him being right. It could cost many Jedi their lives, and who knows what kind of psychological damage that kind of invasion could do to the clones,” she said grimly.

“I’ll speak to the other Council members about this. In the meantime, I’m sending Herring Company back to the Barab system. They’ll take custody of Darth Zeich and escort him to an appropriate detention facility,” Windu told her.

“Very well, Master Windu,” Leilani answered. “Did Bone and Flare arrive with Sirva-ka?”

“They did. Their shuttle is being refueled, and they’ll be on their way back to you shortly,” Windu replied. “And speaking of your troops…”

“Yes, Master?”

“Once Herring Company takes custody of the Bothan, I want you to go to Kamino and select replacement troops for the men you lost,” he said. “Normally, the men are randomly assigned, but considering how small and how skilled the 305 th is, Master Yoda and I agreed that you should choose your own new troops.” Leilani blinked, surprise and nervousness spiking enough that she was sure her expression revealed her feelings. “Report in once the Bothan is successfully transferred to Herring Company.”

“Of course, Master.” The hologram vanished, and Leilani shook her head and glanced around. Scratch was standing on the other side of the holotable, Fractal beside him. Leon was leaning against the wall, head tilted.

“So we’re going to Kamino, huh?” Leon mused.

“Once Herring Company picks up Zeich, yes,” Leilani replied. “Unless they’ve gotten themselves into trouble, they should be here in a few hours, a day at most. We just have to keep Zeich sedated until then.”

“I’ll let Stitch know,” Scratch volunteered. He turned to leave, then paused and narrowed his eyes at her. “And I’m also going to tell him you still haven’t gotten that shoulder looked at.”

“I bandaged it; it’s fine,” she said. “I don’t need to bother the medics, not with Flash and Fidget still in the infirmary, and Crash there too now.”

“Each of them assumes you’ve already gone to one of the others to be treated. Once they get together and compare notes, they’re going to realize you didn’t come to them, and they’re going to be upset,” Leon warned.

“You were planning to check on Crash anyway, Leilani. Why not just let the medics check your shoulder while you’re there?” Fractal suggested.

“Okay, okay,” Leilani agreed. Scratch left, headed for the detention block.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but why are you calling the General by name?” Leon asked, watching Fractal thoughtfully.

“She told me to,” Fractal replied. “When I told her I preferred being called Fractal instead of Captain.” Leon’s gaze turned to Leilani, who shrugged.

“He’s my assistant, right? I didn’t see any harm in it,” she explained. “Being called ‘General’ all the time just feels strange.”

“So in informal settings, you’re alright with being called by name?” Leon asked. Leilani shrugged.

“Yeah. I mean, what’s the point in having a name if no one uses it?” Leon nodded thoughtfully to himself, then changed the subject.

“You’d better head for the infirmary,” he said. “It’s almost time for Stitch and the others guarding Zeich to switch off.” Leilani nodded, then headed for the infirmary, Fractal on her heels. Just before she reached it, alarm flared in the vicinity of the detention block. Without stopping to explain what she’d sensed, she whirled and sprinted toward where Zeich was being held, using her powers to speed up, leaving Fractal behind.

Pain flashed through the Force, then went dark. She recognized the presence that had just vanished, one of the troopers.

_ Bayonet!  _


	13. Who Your Friends Are as You Head Off to the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sith do not like to be caged.

_ Bayonet!  _

He’d only just been cleared for duty after his wound on Colla Four, which had healed enough for him to stand guard with the others. She pushed back her grief, using the impending danger to her other troops to control her emotions. Who else was guarding Zeich right now? Leilani’s mind whirled, searching. She knew those minds, knew the clones they belongs to.

Mocker, Crank, Stitch, and Sig were down there. Rufus should be there, too, since he’d been the officer in charge of checking on the guards every half hour for the afternoon, and he was supposed to check them before the guards changed shifts. And Scratch was on his way there to talk to Stitch about the prisoner transfer.

A scream of pain erupted in her awareness - Mocker was injured. Crank was unconscious, but alive – for now. Stitch was scrambling, searching for more sedatives. Rufus was running toward the commotion, and Scratch wasn’t far behind. Sig seemed to be trying to contact the bridge, if his focus mingled with anxiety was any indication. Mocker’s presence vanished.

Leilani heard blaster fire and knew her troops were engaging the prisoner, but she realized that she couldn’t sense the Bothan’s presence. He was concealing himself, tucking his power in on itself, only releasing it when he attacked.

A burst of energy crackled in the Force, and Sig’s focus and anxiousness were swept away by pain. What was Zeich doing to them? Leilani turned the corner and saw the comm officer collapsing, blue lightning dancing between the Bothan’s fingertips and over the clone’s armor. Leilani activated her lightsaber.

“Zeich!” she shouted. The Bothan looked up, and Scratch and Rufus took that opportunity to attack, blasters spitting fire. “No, don’t shoot him!” Leilani yelled. Zeich’s body jerked, the sedatives still in his system slowing his reactions enough that the first two shots hit his left arm. He hissed as he turned, lightning shooting from his right hand, absorbing the laserfire and then leaping across the distance between him and the clone officers. When the energy hit their bodies, the two clones yelled, dropping their blasters as their bodies jerked uncontrollably. Leilani lunged forward, lightsaber swinging with the full intent of slicing the Bothan in half. Zeich somersaulted, the lightning vanishing for a second. Scratch fell to one knee, and Rufus fell all the way to the ground. Both of their minds were clouded with pain.

“It was foolish of you to keep me on your ship, General,” Zeich sneered, coming to his feet and lashing out with that horrible lightning again. Scratch and Rufus yelled again, the Commander collapsing. By the time Leilani crossed the distance and lashed out at Zeich again, both officers had stopped making any sounds, their minds dark and empty.

_ General! _ Stitch was in an alcove, hidden from sight, sedative at the ready.  _ If you can distract him… _

_ Let’s do it, _ she replied, launching a series of swift jabs at the Bothan, who retreated toward Stitch’s position to avoid being hit.  _ Now! _ Stitch lunged from his hiding place, bringing a syringe down toward the Bothan’s back. The furred alien ducked and sent a wave of Force energy – not lightning, thankfully – out from his body, throwing Leilani and Stitch to opposite ends of the hallway. Leilani twisted, landing on her feet, but Stitch wasn’t so lucky. He slammed into the wall full force and fell, groaning.

Zeich didn’t wait for Leilani to attack again; he turned and ran, using the Force to speed himself up. Leilani chased him, reaching out for any clones in the Bothan’s path. Sensing none in immediate danger, she activated her comm link.

“General Odelia to all troops. Do not engage the Bothan,” she ordered. “Lock down all ships in the hangars, and fire on any escape pods that launch.” Acknowledgements came back over the device.

“General! All of the escape pods were launched!”

“Then shoot them all!” Leilani ordered. “Track the trajectory of any that aren’t destroyed!”

She was sure the Bothan was on one of those pods; he would know he couldn’t hide on the  _ Selfless _ forever, and Leilani didn’t think he would risk sticking around until the hangar fighters were unlocked.

A presence at the edge of her range sparked with smug pride, too strong to be contained by the person trying to conceal themselves. The Bothan.

He wasn’t on the ship anymore. He really was on an escape pod. Leilani stopped running. There was nothing she could do to catch him. She needed to check on her troops.

When she returned to the detention block, Stitch was crouched over Crank, checking his vitals. He looked up when Leilani approached, and she realized that she couldn’t sense Crank at all, and Stitch had flecks of blood at the corners of his mouth. His helmet lay on the floor nearby.

“Sorry…General,” Stitch rasped. “It…was my…fault. Didn’t…use enou-“ His words broke off in a coughing fit that had him doubled over, his mind filled with agony. Leilani reached out and gently pushed back his pain, giving him some relief.

“It’s okay, Stitch,” she said. “Hold still, I’ll heal you.” She reached out to steady the medic, and ended up catching him as he fell, gently lowering him to the floor. “Just hang on, okay?”

“Too…late,” Stitch whispered, his voice rattling. “Ribs…punctured my…lung.” Leilani felt tears burn at the corners of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Stitch,” she managed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t…be,” he choked out. Then he gave one last gurgling cough and went limp, his mind fading away.

The tears fell, landing on the gold-decorated white armor. She bent over the medic’s limp form, struggling to push her grief back.

She shouldn’t have brought Zeich on the  _ Selfless.  _ She should have killed him after Shadow stunned him. Footsteps caught her attention, and she sensed Fractal, Leon, Patch, and a few others approaching. She quickly wiped at her face and looked up. Leon reached her first, and crouched beside her as Patch went from clone to clone, checking for signs of life. When he reached Scratch and Rufus, the chief medic shook his head sadly.

“Even the officers,” he muttered.

“General?” Leon reached out and gently shifted Stitch’s body out of her arms. “Are you hurt?”

She wasn’t hurt, not physically. But the loss of six more of her men ate away at her, the grief compounding what she was already dealing with from losing the first seven.

Thirteen men. She’d lost thirteen of her men in less than two weeks.

“I’ll contact command,” one of the nearby clones said. He left, presumably headed for the control room.

“Call the Herrings, too!” Leon called after him before returning his attention to Leilani. “Let’s get you up, General.” Leilani nodded and let the Captain pull her to her feet.

“I’ll check with the bridge, see if any pods got away.” Leilani looked up and saw Rom standing there. She nodded, and he gave her a sharp salute before leaving.

“Leilani,” Fractal said quietly. “Let’s get you to the infirmary. You still need to get your shoulder checked, and you should rest.” Leilani didn’t argue; she suddenly felt so incredibly drained, like the deaths of Scratch and the others had sapped her of the strength to even grieve.

“You weren’t planning to take him on alone when you ordered everyone not to engage, were you?” Leon asked as he and Fractal led her toward the infirmary. Leilani glanced at him, then away, uncertain if she should tell him that that had been exactly her plan. “Well, that Bothan is right about one thing. You are a lioness when it comes to protecting your men.”

“For all her anger that I was going to sacrifice myself to help her, she was about to do the same thing,” Fractal commented. Leilani wanted to protest, to say that it wasn’t the same thing at all, but she didn’t have the energy. She closed her eyes as she walked, only half listening to them. She’d been through too much stress today, with all the death, then capturing Zeich, and him escaping. She was thoroughly worn out.

“She’s quite the little  _ cabur, _ isn’t she?” Leon replied, chuckling.

“ _ Cabur _ ?” Fractal repeated. “I know it’s  _ mando’a, _ but I don’t know that word.”

“It means guardian, or protector,” Leon told him as they reached the infirmary. Leilani considered protesting, because she obviously hadn’t done a very good job of protecting anyone, but her mind was too clouded to form the right words as another wave of exhaustion swamped her. Her vision swam, and the last thing she was aware of was Leon catching her as she collapsed.

* * *

 

Leilani woke slowly, forcing her way past layers of grief, frustration, regret, and the awful empty feeling that had plagued her off and on for years.

“Welcome back, General.” Leilani opened her eyes and found Bone standing between her cot in the infirmary and the one that held Crash.

“Bone. You and Flare made it back, then?” Leilani murmured, sitting up.

“Yeah, but General Cathmore says you shouldn’t move too much,” the medic told her.

“Cathmore? She’s here?” Leilani reached out with the Force and found Herring Company in the mess hall, Marva and Jada with them.

“Yes. And when she heard from the pilots about what happened, and how you reacted, she said to keep you resting as long as possible,” Bone replied. Leilani frowned, and the medic gently put a hand on her uninjured shoulder and guided her to lay back down. She let him, thinking maybe he would answer her questions if she cooperated. Besides, if Master Cathmore had said Leilani should rest, then she had probably figured out about the link somehow. If she hadn’t mentioned it to the medics yet, then she would if Leilani didn’t cooperate. And the Knight wasn’t sure if she should mention it at this point.

“Did any of the escape pods…?”

“Two got away. They both landed on Barab One, and the Barabels are on the lookout – but they weren’t happy to hear that General Cathmore was back,” Bone added. “They really don’t like her, do they?”

“That’s just Shaka-ka and his mate’s family,” Leilani replied. “Did either of the pods have Zeich inside?”

“Both pods were empty when the Barabels found them. Herring Company is heading down there to try to find out more in the morning,” he answered.

“In the morning? What time is it?”

“It’s the middle of the night. Flash and Fidget got released about an hour ago, by the way. They’re not well enough for combat, but they’re ready for some exercise,” Bone said cheerfully. “And Crash is going to make a full recovery. I hear I missed a lot of action while I was escorting the lizard kid to Coruscant.”

“Yeah. Turns out, the 305 th is full of self-sacrificing sentimentalists,” commented another clone. Leilani lifted her head and smiled.

“Hello, Trig,” she greeted the trooper. “What are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d come and check on you and Crash,” Trig answered. “You saved my life, General.” Leilani shrugged her good shoulder.

“I just wish I’d been able to save the others, too,” she sighed. “I’m glad you’re okay, though. And Bone says Crash is going to be fine.”

“He’ll have a scar to impress the shinies with, but he’ll be back to his old self soon,” Bone agreed. Trig chuckled.

“Shinies?” Leilani repeated. She remembered Smoke Squad using the term to refer to new troops who’d never been in real combat. “We aren’t getting any until Zeich is taken care of, are we?”

“General Cathmore and the Captains had a meeting with command,” Trig told her. “Eaves says we have our orders. In the morning, the  _ Selfless  _ is going to Kamino so we can get more men. The  _ Tolerance _ is coming with the 417 th and their Jedi to help Herring Company with the search for Zeich.”

“The  _ Tolerance _ ? They’re bringing Master Ayeh and Gavin back here?” Leilani asked.

“That’s what Eaves says,” Bone said with a shrug. “And he’s usually right.” Leilani sighed. She wanted to face Zeich again, make him pay for what he’d done. But she knew that was exactly why she was being sent to Kamino. The Council had already ordered her off this hunt once. Of course they would do it again.

“Did someone tell Master Cathmore about the things Zeich said on the moon?” she questioned, knowing that making sure the others had the information they needed was the best she could do. “And let Shaka-ka know that his daughter made it safely to the Temple?”

“Flare and Leon took care of it, General,” Trig replied.

“Good,” she murmured. “You should get some sleep, Trig. I can help, if you’d like.” The trooper hesitated.

“General Cathmore said you shouldn’t use your powers for a while,” Bone put in. Leilani couldn’t help it. She rolled her eyes.

“Did she tell you why she thinks I should have all of these restrictions?” she asked.

“No…?” Bone exchanged confused glances with Trig. “I figured it was a Jedi thing.”

“It’s a Master Cathmore being overprotective thing,” Leilani replied. “I’m fine, and I know my limits.”

“That injury on your shoulder suggests otherwise, Leilani,” a familiar voice commented. Leilani smiled a little.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Master.” Marva Cathmore sat on the edge of her cot.

“Could you give us a minute?” Marva asked. Bone nodded and retreated to the medics’ office, and Trig shrugged.

“I’ll go see if Jang and the others are awake,” the trooper said. Then he left. Leilani sighed and frowned at Marva, who had been a mentor to her after Leilani’s Master died.

“You told my medic to keep me resting,” Leilani accused.

“I did. I asked around about how you were doing, and-“

“You mean you and Jada went sneaking around listening to what my men were saying,” Leilani corrected. “You could’ve just asked Eaves.”

“I did, actually. I remembered him from before. He said he wouldn’t discuss your condition. And the medics were uncooperative as well.” Marva frowned. “Your troops are either very stubborn or very loyal.”

“They’re both,” Leilani replied, smiling fondly. “So, what did you hear that made you decide to give my medics orders?”

“I only made suggestions. And I heard your pilots discussing what they could do to make sure they could cover you if another death affected you the way Vortex’s did. Leilani, you linked with that clone, didn’t you?”

“So what if I did?” Leilani huffed.

“That was dangerous. We’ve discussed this before,” Marva reminded her. “When you link, you connect too deeply, and you get drawn in. When your link partner gets injured, you face a huge backlash. And if they die…”

“It was worth it to try to save Vortex,” Leilani countered. “It didn’t work that time, but maybe next time it will.”

“Or maybe next time, you’ll end up catatonic, like you did as a Padawan,” Marva said firmly. “I know you’re a Knight now, but please, consider the consequences.” Leilani met the Jedi Master’s gaze steadily and saw only concern in her expression.

“I have. And if a link would save even one of my soldiers, whatever backlash I face is worth it,” Leilani stated firmly. “I know I can’t protect them all – Zeich and the Annihilators have made that painfully clear – but I’m going to bring as many back from each mission as I can.” Marva sighed.

“I thought you’d say something like that,” she admitted. “And knowing you, I might have been disappointed if you’d backed down. Your courage and selflessness are great strengths, as long as you don’t overreach.” Leilani blinked, then shook her head.

“Were you testing me?”

“I wouldn’t call it a test. But I wanted to see how your time with them affected you,” Marva said.

“You could have just asked,” Leilani pointed out. “I would have told you about the grief, and that the emptiness is back, but that my surviving troops have never wavered in supporting me, and that makes it better. Not perfect, because it still hurts, but better.”

“Yes, but I know all that from what I’ve heard while sneaking around and eavesdropping on your men. What I wanted to know was whether you’d realized that you’ll survive this and be a stronger Jedi for it,” Marva told her. Leilani laughed.

“Don’t worry, Master. My men have taken excellent care of me,” she assured her.

“So I see. Well, I’ll let you sleep. We’re leaving as soon as the surface is warm enough to search,” Marva told her.

“Just be careful. He can hide his presence,” Leilani warned. “And he can use Force lightning, and stop blaster fire with the Force.”

“I’ll keep all of that in mind, don’t worry.” Marva smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of the Knight’s eyes. “You go to Kamino and refill your ranks. Stay for a few days, train with your legion. Practice linking with a few, if you refuse to give up on the idea of using that tactic in combat. And remember, you can’t protect anyone if you’re dead.”

“I know, Master. May the Force be with you,” Leilani added as Marva stood.

“And with you, Leilani,” she replied. Then she left, and Leilani closed her eyes, wondering what she could do to make linking more efficient. Maybe if she just practiced more? Or if she could lend her reaction speed without connecting so deeply that  _ everything _ was shared? Did sharing everything do more harm than good?

She just didn’t know.

“General?” Leilani’s eyes flew open, and she looked over at the cot beside hers. Crash was awake.

“Yes?”

“If you want to practice linking, I’m up for it. I can’t really do much for another day or two, but once Patch and the others stop fussing, I’ll be up for anything again,” he offered. Leilani blinked.

“You were listening the whole time, weren’t you?” she realized.

“It’s not like I could get up and leave like Trig and Bone,” he pointed out.

“Fair enough. And if Master Cathmore didn’t realize you were awake, that’s her own fault,” Leilani decided. Crash chuckled, then winced as the healing skin on his chest was tugged by the motion. “You should go back to sleep.”

“I will. But there’s one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Leon and Fractal were talking about something when they brought you in, and I think they’re right. You’re not just our General. It’s like you’ve appointed yourself our guardian,” he commented.

“I think protecting my men is part of being a good General,” Leilani replied.

“Sure, but taking a shot for one? Risking your own sanity to give one a chance at survival? That’s above and beyond what a commanding officer usually does,” Crash pointed out. “All I’m saying is, they’re right. You’re more than our General. You’re our  _ cabur. _ ”

“Cabur?” Leilani vaguely remembered Leon and Fractal mentioning the word as they’d reached the infirmary.

“Yeah. If you were a clone, you’d have earned that as your name,” Crash told her. He laughed, despite the discomfort. “Maybe we should call you that from now on.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you can call me whatever you want, as long as you come back alive,” Leilani said, shaking her head. “Now quit laughing before you hurt yourself.”

“Yes, Cabur,” Crash replied cheerfully. 

 


	14. Pick a Star on the Dark Horizon

Leilani stepped off the ship and into the landing area of the clone training center on Kamino. She was met by the Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti, who inclined her head in greeting.

“Welcome, Knight Odelia,” Shaak Ti said. “You are in need of replacement troops, correct?”

“That’s right, Master,” Leilani agreed with a bow. “I was told I could select them myself?”

“Indeed. If you’ll walk with me, I’ll show you to the training area,” the Togruta said.

“Thank you, Master.” Leilani turned to the clones behind her. “Officers, with me. Everyone else is off duty until further notice. Just don’t get into too much trouble, okay?” Her troops saluted, and then dispersed. Leon, Hawk, Rom, and Fractal joined Leilani beside Shaak Ti. “I hope there’s no problem with my assistant and my remaining officers accompanying me?”

“Of course not. This way,” Shaak Ti replied, turning to lead them into the facility. “I have news from command. Pending your approval, the men’s acceptance, there are two promotions that have been recommended by General Cathmore based on the reports she’s collected from your men.” Leilani blinked and glanced at the men beside her, as surprised as they were.

“Promotions?” Leon echoed.

“Perhaps you could tell us the details?” Leilani asked.

“Of course. General Cathmore has recommended that Captain Leon be promoted to Commander in place of your previous Commander, and Trooper Crash be promoted to Captain of Third Unit,” Shaak Ti told them. Leilani turned to her Captains, who were watching her, waiting to see what she said.

“Both promotions make sense,” she said. “I’ll approve both of them, if Leon and Crash accept them.” Leon glanced at Hawk and Rom, who nodded encouragingly.

“I accept,” Leon announced. “As long as I get to stay with Second Unit.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Leilani replied.

“General, should I contact Crash?” Fractal asked.

“I’ll do it,” Leilani replied. “He’s  _ supposed _ to be in the infirmary, still, but I have a feeling he’s probably up and about.” She reached out with the Force, finding Crash arguing with Patch.

_ Crash, if you’re going to pester the medics, come join me and the officers, _ she suggested.

_ You’re not going to order me back to my cot? _

_ I’d like to, but I need to talk to you about something. _

_ I’ll be right there, _ Crash promised. Leilani smiled and shifted her attention to Patch.

_ Patch, I’m borrowing Crash for a bit. I promise not to overwork him or let him hurt himself or anything, _ she said.

_ As you wish, General. _ Leilani withdrew, refocusing on her surroundings.

“Crash will be here in a few minutes,” she told them. Shaak Ti was watching the younger Jedi curiously.

“Are you using the Force to communicate with your trooper?” the Togruta asked. Leilani felt her officers tense.

“Yes. It’s often more efficient than using the comms, at least short range.” Leilani met the Master’s gaze steadily.

“Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind as we observe the soldiers, and point out any that may be more compatible with such a communication system,” Shaak Ti mused.

“General! You got me out of Patch’s clutches!” Crash walked up, wearing his fatigues. “He wouldn’t give me my armor back, though. Something about being too tight on healing wounds.” Crash made a face, then appeared to notice Shaak Ti. “General!” He saluted. The Togruta chuckled.

“Such spirit from a trooper who’s obviously been injured. I can see why General Cathmore would recommend him,” she said. Leilani shrugged.

“That’s part of it. Another part is probably how he got the injury,” the Knight replied. Shaak Ti raised an eyebrow, but Leilani didn’t elaborate. “Anyway, Crash, I ‘rescued’ you from Patch because you’re being offered a promotion.” Crash glanced from Leilani to Shaak Ti to the clone officers. “If you accept, you’ll be the new Captain of Third Unit.” Crash hesitated.

_ You can do this. You’re already the leader of the troopers, and you’ve improved your combat skills remarkably since beginning meditation. But this is your choice. No one will look down on you if you refuse, _ Leilani assured him. Crash met her gaze and nodded.

“I’ll do it.” Leilani grinned.

“In that case, Captain, you’d better come with us to meet our prospective new troops,” she said. “And by the way, Leon just got promoted to Commander.” Crash blinked, then grinned and tossed a salute to Leon, who grinned lazily.

“Shall we proceed with the observations?” Shaak Ti suggested. Leilani nodded, and the group set off.

Their first stop was one of the testing rooms, similar to the battle simulation gyms on board the  _ Selfless _ , where a squad of five clones was fighting their way toward a guarded tower at the far end of the room.

“These cadets are doing a practice run of their final test,” Shaak Ti explained. “They’ll be taking that test tomorrow. If they pass, they’ll graduate and become troopers.” Leilani nodded thoughtfully and watched as the five clones moved from cover to cover, taking down the training droids efficiently.

“They’re too rigid,” Leon commented. “They’re moving exactly the same; they’ve obviously done this before and know what works, but they aren’t looking for any better way to accomplish their goal.”

“Why fix what’s broken?” Rom pointed out. “Still, a certain amount of flexibility is necessary for a legion like ours.” Hawk snickered, and Rom elbowed his friend.

“Sorry, it’s just…you used to be the most by-the-book guy in the whole officer training program,” Fourth Unit’s Captain said. Rom rolled his eyes and pointedly turned back to watch the cadets. They’d reached the tower and were attaching ascension cables.

“You know, we have a pretty good idea of how the citadel challenge works with a squad of clones, but I wonder how it would change with a Jedi involved,” Leon commented. “It would certainly allow more flexibility.” Shaak Ti tilted her head, wondering where he was going with this, but Leilani saw the spark of mischief in his eyes and grinned.

“Crash and Fractal aren’t cleared for that level of exercise, but then, it’s a five-person challenge, isn’t it?” she asked.

“And a Jedi is probably worth at least two clones in terms of fighting strength,” Hawk pointed out, catching on. Rom frowned.

“I don’t think that what you’re getting at would be allowed,” he pointed out.

“Aw, come on, Rom. It would be fun!” Hawk urged.

“Rom’s got a point. We should ask permission,” Leilani said, turning to Shaak Ti. “Would it be all right if a few of my officers and I ran the citadel challenge, so I can get a better idea of what might be going through the cadets’ minds?”

“You could just find out with your Force abilities,” Crash pointed out. Leilani raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. “It’s true.”

“It is, but this way is more fun,” Leilani said, grinning. Shaak Ti laughed softly.

“All right. I see no harm in it,” she agreed.

Ten minutes later, Leilani, Leon, Hawk, and Rom were at the start zone for the challenge. Their goal was to fight their way to the tower, scale it, and claim the glowing flag at the top.

“Begin,” came Shaak Ti’s voice from the observation area, where she, Crash, and Fractal waited.

“Let’s go,” Leilani said, darting forward and somersaulting behind the first covered area. Her officers followed, borrowed training blasters at the ready. Droids were stationed at various locations, some elevated, others on the floor, patrolling.

“Wish we had a sniper,” Leon complained, aiming at one of the elevated droids that would have a clear shot at them if they moved any farther into the arena. He fired and missed, drawing the droid’s attention to them. Leilani debated mentioning the brief training she’d done with the snipers, but decided against it.

“I got this,” Hawk said. “General, if you could…?” Leilani nodded and stood, activating her lightsaber and twirling it defensively, deflecting the shots the droid sniper sent their way. Hawk aimed, using the extended cover provided by her blade to rise above the barrier they were taking cover behind, and fired. The droid fell.

“Nice shot, Hawk,” Leon congratulated. “But now we’ve got their attention.”

“Let’s show them our appreciation, then,” Leilani replied. The minutes that followed were a blur of blaster fire and the hum of Leilani’s lightsaber. She called out verbally and mentally, warning of droids behind them and pointing out more snipers, which Hawk took down easily. They made it to the base of the tower, which had cannons along its entire height. The officers used their ascension cables, while Leilani simply Force-leaped to the top. She didn’t claim the flag, instead perching on the top and keeping an eye on her men. Hawk was the first to the top, and he perched beside her, pleased with the vantage point. As Leon and Rom neared the top, one of the droids they’d thought was destroyed rose again and fired. The bolt missed the officers, but severed Rom’s cable.

Leilani reached out, her mind brushing Hawk’s and confirming their movements in an instant. The Knight focused on Rom, using the Force to catch the Captain and lift him to the top of the tower, while Hawk shot the droid several times, just to be extra sure. Leon reached the top, and Rom was close behind. Leilani gently set Rom down on the top of the tower, and together they turned and lifted the flag, officially completing the challenge.

“Thanks, General,” Rom muttered as the citadel’s tower lowered itself to ground level, disappearing into the floor. The barriers they’d used for cover similarly collapsed, leaving them in an empty arena.

“Any time, Captain,” Leilani replied as they went back to the entry point, picking their way between deactivated droids. She paused, sensing someone watching her with surprised interest, and looked around. Along the top of the arena was a group of cadets, officers in training from the marks on their armor. Most of the cadets were chatting amongst themselves, but this one was watching Leilani. She tilted her head, but didn’t reach out mentally. No need to catch him by surprise, she decided.

“Well done,” Shaak Ti congratulated them. Crash and Fractal grinned.

“Did you see Rom fall?” Hawk asked, smirking. Rom scowled, and Leon grinned at him.

“He’s lucky the General caught him so he didn’t get hurt,” Leon commented.

“It wasn’t luck,” Leilani said. “I’ll catch everyone I can.” Shaak Ti seemed to be weighing the Knight’s words and actions, but it was the proud grins on the men’s faces that caught Leilani’s attention.

“We know, General,” Hawk assured her.

“You wouldn’t be our  _ cabur _ if you didn’t,” Crash added playfully. Fractal laughed, and Leon seemed proud that his assessment of the General’s determination to protect her men had stuck.

As the men laughed and Shaak Ti watched them thoughtfully, Leilani felt herself relax. Loosing Scratch, Rufus, and the others on top of the losses the 305 th had already taken had hit hard, but with Leon as her new Commander, Crash as Third Unit’s Captain, and whoever she chose to be First Unit’s new Captain, she would have her legion on a path to healing, to reforming. It might take a while for the new men to settle in, but once they did, she was confident that she would be able to work with the people under her command, her protection.

She just needed to actually  _ choose _ those new men.

* * *

 

As Leilani entered the mess hall used by the cadets, silence fell. All eyes were on her as she walked to the front of the room and turned to address them.

“Medical Cadet Cory, Pilot Cadets Cryo and Breaker, comm officer cadet Nic, and trooper cadet Taff, please report to the  _ Selfless _ ’s main hangar when you’re finished with your meal,” she announced. The men she’d named had been chosen by her own people in the 305 th , who had spent the day socializing with the cadets who had passed their graduation exam but had not yet been officially cleared and assigned to anywhere yet. Her pilots had picked Cryo and Breaker for their skill and eagerness to hear about flying with a Jedi. Cory had been chosen by Bone because the cadet had survived a conversation with Chipper – whose constantly-cheerful disposition was off-putting for many – without trying to escape even once. The comm officers had suggested Nic because apparently the cadet was developing techniques for getting into and jamming enemy communications. Taff had gotten along well with Eaves, and had beaten Nek in an arm-wrestling competition, so the troopers had asked for him. Leilani had conferred with her officers, then approved the selections.

Now she just needed seven more troopers and a captain.

She held back a sigh, nodded to the cadets, then left the mess hall. When she stepped into the hallway, Fractal was talking a cadet marked as an officer in training. Their conversation stopped as she approached.

“Who’s this?” Leilani asked, then paused. His presence was familiar, although she hadn’t reached out to completely identify it the first time she’d seen him. “No, wait. You were watching when my officers and I ran the citadel earlier.” The cadet’s eyes flickered, and Fractal grinned.

“Crash owes me,” her assistant announced. “I told him you noticed, but he was sure you were too focused on Leon, Hawk, and Rom.”

“I’m flattered by the faith Crash has in my observation skills,” Leilani replied wryly. Then she refocused on the cadet. “What’s your name?”

“CC-8801, sir,” the cadet replied, his eyes flickering again. Leilani tilted her head, frowning. She sensed something in him, something that was grim and untrusting. “Is something wrong, sir?”

“She asked for your name, not your number,” Fractal grumbled before Leilani could explain. The cadet blinked, his posture still rigid. He wasn’t nervous, exactly, more like…he distrusted her for some reason. “His name is Caon, General.”

“Well, Caon, is there anything I can do for you?”

“No, sir.” The words were short, almost angry. Leilani’s frown grew before she could stop it.

“I see. Fractal, I’ll see you later for briefing the new men. Once they’ve been shown around, I’d like you and the other officers to meet me at the training arena. Master Shaak Ti mentioned that some of the cadets do extra practices in the evenings.”

“And you want to observe,” Fractal finished. “All right. Would you like me to let the others know?”

“If you don’t mind, that would be wonderful. I’ll be around. If you could have Crash or Leon call me when the new men get to the main hangar…?”

“Of course, General.” Fractal gave her a casual salute, and the cadet snapped to attention. Leilani studied Caon for a moment, wondering why he felt different from the other cadets. It wasn’t the officer’s conditioning, it was something deeper. Then she smiled.

“See you soon, Fractal. It was nice to meet you, Caon.” She left then, and Fractal turned to Caon.

“So that’s the General everyone’s talking about,” Caon murmured, his eyes following her path down the hall.

“She’s a good commander, Caon. She cares about her men. She wouldn’t treat anyone the way you were treated,” Fractal said quietly. Caon’s eyes flickered to the Captain, then back to the Jedi until she rounded a corner, out of sight, a moment later.

“How much do you know?” Caon asked, working to keep his voice steady.

“I know enough. While the other officers were meeting their men’s suggestions for replacement troops, I was hanging out near the officer cadets’ training area. I’m not Eaves, or Shadow, but I know how to detect rumors. I don’t know what happened, why you were sent back. But I know that General Odelia would never send a trooper back. Crash would never have lived to be promoted to Captain without her. I wouldn’t have lived without her. Trig would’ve been killed just the other day if she hadn’t pushed him out of the way. Her shoulder’s still injured because she took the shots that would have killed him.”

“Doesn’t mean she wouldn’t send someone back if they disobeyed her,” Caon snapped. Fractal shrugged.

“Technically you’re right. She’s never been put in the situation of disciplining a subordinate, so I have no proof for what I’m about to say. But I believe it, and so does every man under her command. The General is determined to protect her men, and I think that if anyone endangered another soldier by disobeying, she’d make sure they were dealt with – but fairly. Supposedly Crash used to be the clumsiest trooper to make it off Kamino, and she helped him learn to meditate and calm himself so he could improve,” he said seriously. “It was before I met her, though. And now he’s a Captain.” Fractal shook his head.

“I don’t see why you’re so determined for me to be impressed with her,” Caon sighed. “I know you were scouting for a replacement officer, but I’m not interested.”

“You want to be assigned to a group with no Jedi? Or one without anyone but clones commanding?” Fractal guessed. “You know that’s not likely.”

“They’ll probably decide I’m unfit to be an officer and recondition me anyway,” Caon replied grimly.

“If General Odelia knew that, she’d recruit you immediately,” Fractal replied.

“So she can swoop in and save me from my fate?” Caon scowled. “No, thanks.”

“No. So she can protect you. She’s like the helpful, protective big sister I didn’t know I needed,” Fractal replied. “She saved me before she even knew who I was, and she’s gone to extraordinary lengths to keep me safe while I recover.” Caon’s gaze was questioning, but Fractal didn’t elaborate. “The point is, if it comes down to it, and you need a place, just say so.”

“You shouldn’t promise things like that,” Caon sighed. “Especially when you don’t know how your General would react.”

“You think the General needs an assistant?” Fractal shook his head. “She agreed to that to keep me close, so she could make sure I was safe. And she only agreed after being assured I had already agreed to the assignment willingly.” Caon shrugged.

“Some commanders are nice to start with,” the cadet said. Fractal shook his head.

“I can tell that nothing I say will convince you. You’ll have to learn for yourself. I’m recommending you as her choice for Captain, and I’ll tell her about your reservations, but not your past,” Fractal said.

“She wouldn’t choose me, and I don’t want her to,” Caon snapped, shoulders tensing as though he was stopping himself from hunching them defensively. “She should pick one of the others. Or just put you in charge of the unit.”

“I’m not battle-ready,” Fractal replied mildly. “But I’ll tell her you said that, too.” Caon frowned, but Fractal just smiled. “I hope to see you again, Caon.” Then he turned and walked in the direction of the  _ Selfless _ . He needed to find the other officers, then report to the main hangar to greet the newbies. 


	15. And Follow the Light

Leilani was watching the extra practices several squads of trooper cadets were running, her officers beside her. She wasn’t sure she could just…pick which ones would be assigned to her legion.

“Leilani?” Fractal stepped up beside her. “I may have found a candidate for Captain of First Unit. He seems reluctant to work under a Jedi, but he’s skilled, and he’s a good leader.” Leilani kept her eyes on the cadets below, but her mind was on Fractal’s words.

“Why do you think he would be reluctant to serve under a Jedi?”

“Some things he said,” Fractal answered. “But I promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“I see.” Leilani tilted her head. “I won’t request him unless he wants to join.”

“I know. I told him that, but he didn’t seem to believe me. He also suggested you choose someone else. Actually…he said you should just put me in charge of First Unit,” Fractal added with a chuckle.

“I thought about it, with Leon and Crash being promoted. But you’re still not ready for active duty, and considering what you told me the other day…” Leilani shrugged, referring to when Fractal had asked her to call him by name and not rank, because he didn’t feel like a Captain. She was quiet for a minute, watching the cadets train. Then she guessed, “It’s Caon, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Like I said, I promised him I wouldn’t say anything about some things. But I think that if he had a chance to get to know you, he’d be the most capable and loyal officer you could ask for,” Fractal said confidently.

“I’ll ask Master Shaak Ti about inviting the officer cadets to do some training with me in the morning,” Leilani decided. “I’ll keep an eye out for him, but I also have to keep my options open.”

“I understand. Thank you,” Fractal added. Leilani tilted her head.

“For what?”

“Giving him a chance,” her assistant answered.

“What about that one?” Rom suggested, pointing to a trooper at the back of his squad.

“He’s got a lot of useless tidbits he keeps spouting over the comm channels,” Hawk objected. “I like that one.” Hawk nodded to the trooper at the back of another squad, who seemed to be practicing with grenades. 

“The one Rom likes is Ram,” Crash said, studying the information on each cadet they’d been given. “Hawk’s favorite is Farcry.”

“Ram could use some direction, but I think with a memory like that, he could be useful,” Rom explained.

“And while we have snipers and some heavy gunners, Farcry seems like he would be able to get grenades past droideka shields, like Leon and his boys did on Colla Four,” Hawk added.

“I’ll put in a request for the two of them, then,” Leilani decided. “Hawk can have Farcry and Rom can have Ram.”

“Do any troopers have skill with cold weather gear? Frost from First Unit was supposed to be our expert on that if we ever got sent to an ice world,” Hawk commented.

“There are a couple. The one with the best training marks is Flurry. He’s not in this group extra practice,” Crash said, consulting his list again.

“I’d like him. We shouldn’t put him with First Unit; it might remind them of Frost too much,” Hawk explained. Leilani nodded her agreement.

“I’ll take care of it,” she assured him.

“Which means the slots in my unit have been filled,” Hawk announced. Leilani smiled.

“Please don’t go running around on spires or anything,” she said. Fourth Unit’s Captain grinned.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get hurt. Crash is the designated Injured Officer for the week,” he joked. Leilani shook her head at him, and he tossed her a casual salute before leaving.

“Those two,” Rom said, indicating a pair of troopers who were training back to back, surrounded by training droids. “The move together well.”

“Shatter and Bind. They’ve been together for their whole lives,” Crash said. “I met them yesterday, but my troopers didn’t recommend them because they were worried those two were so close they wouldn’t get along with the others.”

“They’ll learn. And they’re good,” Rom replied.

“If you want them, I’ll do that request, too,” Leilani put in. Rom nodded, and Leilani smiled. “That’s your unit taken care of, then.”

“I’d like to get a third bomb disposal technician for my unit,” Crash said. “Haz and Iso found a guy they get along with, named Det.”

“Sounds good. I’ll request him,” Leilani said. She paused. “Of course, any of our choices could turn us down.”

“I don’t think they will. The 305 th is an elite legion, remember?” Fractal pointed out. She glanced at him, and saw in his eyes that his officer nominee was the only one he thought might not accept the post they were being offered.

“We still need two troopers for First Unit,” Leon commented.

“I think we should choose the Captain first,” Leilani replied. “Then he can participate in choosing the new troopers for that unit.”

“That could work,” Crash agreed. “You’re going to interact with the officer cadets tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. Could someone keep Eaves occupied? He’ll probably find a way to know everything that happens with the cadets tomorrow, but I want at least a slight delay in the information flow,” she said.

“I’ll take care of it,” Leon volunteered.

“No, I want you with me,” Leilani told him. “Since you’re the Commander now.”

“Fair enough,” Leon agreed. “Crash?”

“Don’t look at me. I’ve been informed that since I got to walk around today so much, I’m confined to the infirmary on the  _ Selfless _ tomorrow,” Third Unit’s Captain replied sorrowfully.

“Hawk and I can take turns keeping him out of the way,” Rom volunteered. “Since we have new troopers, Eaves will want to get to know them. It’ll be less suspicious if we use that.”

“Good point,” Leilani said. “Fractal, Leon, I’ll let you know what Master Shaak Ti says about when we can see the cadets.” Her Commander and assistant nodded. “All right. Dismissed.” Her officers dispersed, and Leilani took the data pad she’d been given for troop requests and found the troopers and bomb disposal technician that her officers wanted. She looked forward to meeting them in person.

* * *

 

Caon and his fellow officer cadets stood at attention. General Shaak Ti and the new General – Odelia, Fractal had called her – were walking down the line of cadets, pausing at each one and talking for a moment. Two of General Odelia’s clone officers trailed behind them, listening, but they had their helmets on, so he couldn’t be sure if he knew them or not. Caon wasn’t sure what the Jedi were talking about, but he bristled at the way he and his brothers were lined up like livestock or droids for purchase. He kept his resentment to himself, his expression carefully guarded as the Jedi reached the cadet next to him – Point, the cadet was called. He was a decent officer, but Caon didn’t think he’d be ranked higher than Captain. Point was too headstrong, always wanting to take point even when there were more capable cadets who could have lead. Point didn’t do it out of a desire to protect his men, either; he did it out of pride.

“What’s your name?” the new General asked.

“CC-8800, Point, sir,” Point answered briskly. “It would be an honor to serve you, General.” Caon wanted to roll his eyes; Point was always trying to get in the good graces of any Jedi he met, hoping it would get him a Commander position or into an elite unit. General Odelia studied Point solemnly.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Point, but I am not looking for someone to serve me. I am looking for someone to help me lead and protect my men,” she told him. Caon wondered why she bothered with the pretense; all the Jedi Caon had met were aloof, distant. This one must be trying to use a kind façade to control her troops. Fractal’s words from the night before nagged at the back of his mind, but Caon pushed them away.

“I can do that, sir,” Point assured her. General Odelia continued to study him thoughtfully or a moment, then spoke again.

“How did you get your name, Point?” she asked, her voice light and curious.

“Because I’m always on the front lines, sir,” the cadet answered. Caon wanted to snort. That was part of it, yet, but it was also because of how he never failed to get the point across that he thought he was better than the other cadets.

“I see.” General Odelia smiled, and Caon noted that his fellow cadets were a bit taken aback by the easy, friendly gesture. “If you were to become Captain of an existing unit, and had to fill two trooper slots in that unit, who would you choose?” Point hesitated; he didn’t socialize with the trooper cadets unless he had to.

“I would choose whoever had the best performance in training, sir,” he said after a moment’s thought.

“A standard measurement of capability,” she mused. “Thank you, Point. Perhaps we will meet again.”  Then she was standing in front of Caon. “Ah, Cadet Caon. It’s good to see you again.” Caon blinked. She recognized him, and remembered his name. She was putting a lot of effort into this kindness thing. He was at a loss for what to say. “I’ve heard that you’re quite a skilled cadet.”

“I do my best, sir,” Caon answered, unsure as to where she was going.

“Your best is all anyone can ask for and more,” General Odelia replied. Caon wasn’t sure what she meant, but he nodded anyway. He just wanted her to move on and let him go back to his training. “What about you, Caon? How would you fill two empty trooper slots?” Caon considered giving her an answer along the lines of what Point had said, but he stopped. It was an interesting question, one he hadn’t gotten a chance to face before… He shook off that thought and realized that the General was waiting, her eyes fixed on his face.

“I would have to know the unit well enough to identify any weaknesses in the skill sets of the existing troopers, sir,” he said, turning the question over in his mind. “For example, if the unit’s hand-to-hand combat skills are average or below, I would choose Pummel – CT-3693 – and if the unit’s environmental knowledge was lacking, I would choose someone like Flurry – CT-3675 – or Vine – CT-3684.” He stopped talking, noticing that the General’s expression wasn’t friendly anymore. Now, it was positively gleeful. That couldn’t possibly be a good thing. 

“Master?” she said, turning to Shaak Ti. The Togruta nodded. General Odelia closed her eyes for a moment. Then she turned to the clone officers. “Hawk is going to check on Pummel and Vine,” she told them. “Rom is in charge of Eaves for the next hour or so.” Then she turned back to Caon. “May I speak with you privately, Caon?” Point stiffened, and the cadet on the other side of Caon let out a tiny sigh.

“Of course, General,” Caon answered, partly because he felt like he couldn’t really say no, and partly because it would serve Point right for trying to impress Jedi. Jedi were only impressed with themselves, in Caon’s experience. General Odelia turned, obviously expecting him to follow, and walked to the far end of the room. Caon followed, wondering what she wanted.

“You don’t like me,” General Odelia said calmly when they were out of earshot of the other cadets. “And you don’t trust me.” Caon didn’t reply; it would be rude to confirm her words, but he wasn’t going to lie either. “I am curious as to why, but your past is your business, and it will remain so even if you agree to be Captain of my First Unit.” Caon tensed; she wanted him to serve under her. “You don’t have to agree, and I will not make the request unless you want me to.” Her words were in line with what Fractal had said the night before, but Caon wasn’t convinced. “I don’t need to have an officer like me or trust me,” she continued. “Rufus, I think, didn’t care for me at all. But he did his part to bring as many men home as possible.” She was quiet, and Caon noticed that her eyes held an odd sadness he hadn’t seen in any Jedi talking about clones.

“You should choose one of the others,” Caon said, the words more gentle than he’d intended. “A fresh young cadet who’s eager to serve the Jedi.” The General tilted her head.

“You’re not a fresh young cadet?” Before he could reply, she shrugged. “Like I said, I am curious, but your past is yours. Please consider my offer. I would like to begin training with my new men as soon as possible, and if I need to find another Captain, I will. But I would like for you to join the 305 th . I believe the way you thought carefully and named specific troopers for a task shows the level of attention you pay to the others, your willingness to work with their strengths and weaknesses. I believe you are a man who can help me make the 305 th a legion that accomplishes its missions with the lowest casualty numbers possible.” Caon wondered why she would be worried about casualty numbers. Was it a Jedi concern for life? But the Jedi Caon had met didn’t consider clones individual life forms. Maybe it was her pride? Or maybe she didn’t like training new men? He didn’t ask, and she didn’t volunteer an explanation. Maybe she didn’t realize he wanted one.

Because this Jedi was softer than the ones he’d met before, more open and talkative.

“General!” Caon turned and found a trooper in the gold-marked armor of the 305 th sprinting toward them, helmet off and a wide, triumphant grin on his face. Behind him came another clone, this one wearing a Captain’s  _ kama _ and scowling. It was the scowling one that had called out, attracting the attention of all of the cadets and the clone officers who had stayed near Shaak Ti.

“I see Eaves escaped,” General Odelia observed as the trooper darted behind her as though hiding. The Captain slowed, his expression foreboding.

“He waited until I was busy with Farcry and Flurry, then got Flash and Fidget to cover his escape,” the Captain explained. “I wish the medics had kept those two a few more days.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, General.”

“It’s all right, Hawk. You did well to keep him occupied this long,” General Odelia replied. She glanced over her shoulder at the trooper hidden behind her. “Eaves,” she said, tone firm but amused.

“I haven’t had time to bug anywhere in this officer cadet areas yet,” the trooper complained. “So I had to find out what was going on in person.”

“Or you could have waited and let me tell you what you needed to know once a decision had been made,” the General replied. “But since you’re here, this is Caon. Caon, this is Eaves, one of First Unit’s troopers.” Caon was staring at them through the entire exchange. As soon as Eaves and Hawk had shown up, she had been more relaxed than she had been when talking to the cadets. When the two helmeted officers who had been escorting her before approached, she grinned at them. “We should head back to the  _ Selfless _ and let Caon think things over,” she said.

Caon wasn’t sure what it was that made his decision for him. It might have been the easy way she interacted with her trooper, or the way she talked to her officer. It might even have had something to do with the practice run on the citadel challenge he’d seen.

“I’ll do it,” he said. She paused and beamed.

“Then welcome, Captain Caon. I’ll file the request with Master Shaak Ti,” she replied. Eaves eyed Caon warily.

“You’re going to be the new Captain?”

“It seems so,” Caon replied, a little surprised at himself. He saluted, and the officers and trooper returned the gesture.

“We’ll see you on the  _ Selfless _ shortly, then,” General Odelia said. Caon wondered what he had just gotten himself into, especially since it was against his better judgement to agree to work with a Jedi.

* * *

 

Caon wasn’t sure what kind of method of controlling the troops this was, but he did know that it was strange. He was sitting cross-legged with the rest of First Unit, facing the General, who was also seated. She was murmuring instructions about how quickly to breathe, and to center their minds. The men who’d arrived on Kamino with the General seemed used to this, but Caon knew that Cryo, Vine, and Pummel were just as nonplussed as he was.

“That’s enough for today,” the General decided. “Pummel, Cryo, Vine, and Caon, could I talk to you for a minute?” The other pilots, Strafe and Swoop, murmured to Cryo, then left with the snipers. Flash, Fidget, and Eaves had a similar conversation with Pummel and Vine, then joined the scouts and exited. The three demolition experts had left, too, so only the four newly assigned men were in the room with the General. “Pummel, I can sense your restlessness. You may prefer a more active form of meditation, or you may want to take extra time to practice calming yourself.” The trooper glanced at Caon, then nodded.

“Yes, sir. Whatever you want me to do, sir,” he said quickly.

“Relax, trooper. I’m not going to bite,” General Odelia assured him. Caon resisted the urge to grimace. Jedi didn’t bite. That would require too much effort. “Vine, you did well. I imagine your reputation for navigating thick undergrowth as well as any scout is a testament to your ability to focus and calm yourself.” Vine blinked.

“I suppose so, sir,” he agreed tentatively. The General smiled and turned to Cryo.

“Your mind is turbulent as well, but from excitement. Looking forward to things is good, but don’t let it interfere with your focus on the present,” she advised. The pilot saluted, expression curious. “Thank you for participating. You three are dismissed.” The three men glanced at Caon, who nodded. They left, presumably to join their peers. “Caon, would you help me up?” The General held out a hand, and Caon hesitated. Thinking it would be rude not to, he eventually grasped her hand and carefully pulled her to her feet. As his gloved fingers closed around her slender hand, he noticed a small scar on the back of her hand. “An accident when I was a youngling,” she explained, grinning at the memory. “Two of my friends and I were testing our Force leaping abilities, and I missed my landing. My hand caught on a loose bit of metal as I fell.” Caon realized he was still holding onto her hand and let go quickly.

“I didn’t mean to stare,” he said shortly. “Why did you keep me behind?”

“Because I am very impressed with you, but also very worried for you,” she answered softly. He wondered if she was speaking as a Jedi or a General, and what the difference was. Not that it really mattered. She was just trying to win him over. He didn’t ask what she meant, but this time she explained. “You have some of the strongest mental shields I’ve ever sensed. Most of my troops took several tries before they raised even tentative shields successfully, but you’ve had yours in place since before I met you. The only thing I can sense from you is faint distrust and wariness. Which is where the worry comes in. If you aren’t happy here, you still have time to turn down the position.” A rush of mixed feelings shot through Caon. He wasn’t pleased to be working directly under a Jedi again, but there were good men here, and he knew he could do a good job with them. He could protect them, for as long as this General continued to play nice. And along with these thoughts came a jolt of fear. Was she going to send him back, too? Had she expected him to like and trust her immediately after agreeing to serve under her? Well, that was her own fault. He wasn’t leaving his post, and he wasn’t going back to training again.

“I’m staying,” Caon snapped, the words coming out harsh and almost desperate. The Jedi’s expression softened.

“Of course. I wasn’t trying to get rid of you. I just want the men under my protection to be as content as they can be,” she explained.

“We’re at war. We’re not meant to be happy. We’re meant to be the Jedi’s slightly-more-than-mindless army,” Caon growled before he could stop the bitter words from escaping.

“You are nowhere near mindless.” The words lashed out, and Caon tensed. The General was glaring at him. “All of my men are individuals, and whether we are at war or not, their happiness matters. Their safety matters.” There was a kind of ferocity in her eyes and tone he’d never seen or heard from a Jedi. The ones he’d met were either too aloof to be angered at the words of a mere clone, or angry that he’d spoken at all. This sharpness in her manner was…entirely different. What else about her was different?

“I know that, and all my brothers know that. I’m surprised to hear a Jedi say it, though,” Caon replied sharply. “Aren’t the Jedi supposed to be disconnected from everything?”

“Actually, we’re supposed to be connected to everything equally,” the General replied. “Unfortunately, from your views on Jedi, you’ve either met the ones who look down on clones or heard stories of them from your brothers.” Her expression was full of regret, frustration, and determination. “I won’t try to talk you out of your opinions, and I won’t be offended if you never change them. But please, don’t let your personal feelings prevent you from helping me bring as many men back from each battle as we can.” Caon studied her, something akin to grudging respect growing in him.

“I’ll do my duty and follow orders,” he said firmly. “And I’m going to protect my brothers, but not because you said so. If you have a problem with my attitude, send me back.” For a moment, the Jedi was quiet, thinking his words over.

“I wouldn’t send you back,” she told him finally. “You’re one of my men now, and that means you’re with me unless you want a transfer.” To his surprise, she held out her hand. He hesitated, then shook it, hoping that was what she wanted. “Welcome to the 305 th , Captain Caon. I’ll have an officers’ meeting after lunch. Until then, I have meditation with the other units. Feel free to run drills with our men, or let them do independent practices and workouts. If you have any questions, Fractal or one of the others should be able to answer them. And if you get lost, whatever you do, don’t comm anyone. Just ask someone in person. I think Eaves has all the comm frequencies tapped, and if he could eavesdrop on my mental communications with the other men, I think he would,” she added ruefully. Caon paused, tension gathering in his shoulders.

“Mental communication?” he repeated.

“Yes. One of my talents is telepathy,” she explained. “I thought Fractal would have told you that. The other new men were told before they joined.” She frowned slightly. “Anyway, it’s completely optional. I won’t reach out unless you tell me you’re okay with it, and you can change your mind at any time. Also, if you need to get my attention, you can broadcast your thoughts into the Force – although that’s a training exercise for another day. Some of my men prefer mental communication because it’s faster, and less likely to catch Eaves’ attention. Others prefer comms, so mine is always on.” Caon wasn’t sure how to feel about this development, but he remembered her comment on his mental shields, and an odd realization occurred to him.

She hadn’t been angry. She’d been… _ pleased _ that his defenses were strong. She wasn’t upset that she couldn’t dig around in his head the way he’d heard some Jedi did. She was offering him a choice. Whether he actually had one or not was yet to be seen, but there was the possibility.

“I understand. I would prefer comms, General,” he said, watching her expression carefully. She just nodded.

“All right. You’re dismissed, Captain,” she added. “The next unit will be here shortly.” Caon saluted, then left, wondering about this strange Jedi he’d ended up with. 

 


	16. You'll Come Back When It's Over

Leilani was sitting at a table in the mess hall, eating lunch with Fifth Unit’s troopers. Savvy and Nek she knew, since they’d been with the 305 th longer than she had. Ram, Shatter, and Bind she had met briefly, and she was enjoying their company. Shatter had a collection of small objects that he apparently kept to fiddle with. She learned that he figured out how to break the objects, then gave them to Bind, who figured out how to put them back together, stronger than before, then returned them to Shatter to be broken again. Ram was as full of strange facts as his reputation had indicated.

“Do you know anything about Bothans?” she asked when there was a lull in the conversation. Savvy and Nek paused, shooting her knowing looks.

“A bit. I know the planets they’re from, and their reputation. Some facts about different clans,” Ram answered, curiosity in his tone. He’d noticed his fellow troopers’ reactions, but the new men hadn’t been told about Zeich yet. Leilani nodded thoughtfully.

“How about the Fey’yla family?”

“I read a summary of them once. It was an old thing; apparently they have connections on Kamino. Something about a cloning job the long necks did for them a few generations ago,” Ram answered. “They were tagged as potential future clients, because the long necks seem to like gathering samples from beings with a high midi chlorien count. They’re also some kind of vendor for some equipment that the Kaminoans apparently can’t get elsewhere, some kind of special microchip.” Leilani glanced at Nek and Savvy, sensing their reaction to ‘weird technology’. She knew they were thinking the same thing she was. After all, they’d been there when Zeich had made his claims about chips in the heads of clones.

“Interesting.”

“That’s not even the most interesting part about the Bothans. They know all kinds of things! Their memories are incredible!”

“If you’ve gotten him going on a topic, it’ll be days before he finishes if you don’t cut him off,” advised another clone. Leilani recognized him as Taff, the melee specialist trooper who had been assigned to Second Unit.

“You’re just jealous because I know more than you do,” Ram countered.

“Sure, Ram. Sure,” Taff said, shaking his head.

“I’ll prove it,” Ram threatened. Taff paled and looked around for his fellow Second Unit troopers. Shiner, Sprint, Orray, and Sarlaac were at a nearby table. They noticed Taff and waved him over.

“I noticed that the men here seem to cluster by their specialties, not by squads,” Bind commented.

“That’s because the 305 th doesn’t often move in squads. We haven’t seen many full-blown battles; we’ve mostly been stationed on Barab One. When we do get into battles, the units tend to group how their captains or commander order them. Usually, the snipers scatter and find positions. Anyone whose specialty isn’t needed groups up however they work best. The 305 th is a very flexible group, although we have our exceptions,” Leilani explained. “We practice different scenarios in the simulation gym, different groupings. You’ll get to experience that soon.” She would have continued, but a flare of frustration, fear, and concern from the direction of the control room caught her attention. She reached out. Glitch, Fifth Unit’s comm officer, was the source of the negative emotions, but he didn’t care for mental communication in most situations, so Leilani stood and activated her comm link. The troopers watched, the new men confused, and Savvy and Nek worried.

“General Odelia to Glitch. What’s your status?”

“Glitch here. I was just about to call you, General. You should get to the control room immediately. We have a communication from the  _ Semblance. _ General…you really need to take this.” Leilani stared at the comm for an instant, then turned to the troopers.

“I have to go.” Savvy and Nek glanced at each other, then nodded to their General.

“We’ll keep Eaves and the other First Unit guys busy,” Savvy volunteered. Leilani smiled in thanks. As she walked away, she heard Nek telling the newcomers not to mention the comm call to Eaves. She hurried toward the control room, calling out mentally to Leon, Crash, Hawk, Rom, and Fractal as she went. She also commed Caon, saying only that she needed him to report to the control room immediately. Whatever news the  _ Semblance _ had for them couldn’t be good, if Glitch’s emotions were anything to go by.

By the time she reached the control room, Caon was already inside, with Hawk and Rom. Crash and Fractal were a step behind Leilani, and Leon walked in from another door at the same time they did. Glitch, at the holotable, was pale as he pulled up the communication from the  _ Semblance. _

Instead of Marva, Jada, or a clone from Herring Company, an all-too-familiar Bothan was featured in the hologram.

“Greetings, General Odelia. For such a fierce hunter, you gave up the chase rather quickly,” Darth Zeich commented calmly. “But I think you’ll chase me now, whether your Council allows it or not.” The hologram shifted, and a clone came into view, holding his own ribs. Even in the blue light of the hologram, Leilani could see he was injured. She also knew exactly who he was.

“Like the General would go after someone for hurting one random clone,” Caon muttered.

“You don’t know her,” Crash growled. The officers all waited, watching the General as she studied the hologram.

“I can see Kickstart is alive,” she said, addressing the Bothan. “But what about the rest of Smoke Squad? And Herring Company, and the Jedi who are hunting you in my place?” She kept her voice calm and her hands clasped behind her back so the Bothan had no way of seeing the way her fingernails dug into her palms.

“They’re enjoying the Barabels’ hospitality. I stole their ship, and found only five puny clones aboard. They seem to have a regard for you. It seems your golden 305 th isn’t the only group of clones you value.” Zeich tilted his head. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation about chips and such. But your reaction to the death of your men even without your little linking stunt was very enlightening. If you meet me at the coordinates I send you, I’ll return this squad to you. If I sense any other Jedi, the clones will die. I’ll even let you keep Fractal, as a gesture of my sincerity.”

“Fractal isn’t yours to give,” Leilani snapped. “You’ll have your meeting, since that and killing seem to be the only things you’re good at.”

“General,” Leon warned.

“You’ll get in trouble,” Rom murmured. Hawk raised an eyebrow at his friend, who shrugged. “It’s true. We aren’t supposed to pursue him.”

“The General won’t let him get away with what he’s done,” Crash said grimly. Caon stayed quiet, and Fractal shifted angrily, glaring at the Bothan’s hologram.

“Zeich,” Leilani said. The Sith tilted his head. “Prove to me that Smoke Squad lives. I can’t sense them from this far away.”

“Will the word of this…what are you? A trooper? Would that be enough?” Zeich kicked at the clone’s knee, and Kickstart stumbled.

“We’re alive, General,” Kickstart said. “Apparently we’re more entertaining that way. But he’s doing something…I feel strange.” Kickstart lifted the hand not holding his ribs to the side of his head…right where Zeich claimed the chips were.

“Don’t you dare do to them whatever you did to me, you twisted rat!” Fractal snarled.

“Oh, no, I’ve learned my lesson. I’m being more careful this time. If you hurry, General, they may even be sane when you get here. I’m sending the rendezvous coordinates now.  _ Semblance _ out.” The hologram vanished, and Glitch, still pale and now shaking with rage and fear, looked up from the screen in front of him.

“You have the coordinates?” Leilani asked. Glitch nodded. “Good.” She turned to face her officers.

“Don’t tell me that threat was enough to convince you,” Caon protested. Leilani knew he didn’t trust her, knew he probably didn’t believe that her affection and desire to protect her men was sincere.

“Caon, my friends are in danger. Smoke Squad and I served together when the war first started, before I was assigned to the 305 th . I will  _ not _ let that Bothan keep them.” Her voice was hard, dark, and she knew it. Fury rose inside her, and she quelled it with worry and the determination she had to save them. “I can’t risk the  _ Selfless _ if this is a trap. I’ll take a small squad of men; numbers didn’t exactly faze him last time,” she added bitterly. “And no, Crash, you’re not coming. You’re still healing from the last time we faced Zeich.” She closed her eyes, thinking. “Leon, you’re not coming either. You’re the Commander, I need you to take care of the men and run drills, make sure the new men settle in and work well with our existing tactics, maybe make some improvements.

“Take Caon and First Unit,” Fractal suggested. “He’s never encountered Zeich; maybe a fresh set of eyes will help.”

“Shadow’s the only one who’s gotten the drop on Zeich before, though,” Leon pointed out.

“We’ve been trying to teach the other scouts to do that trick,” Leilani agreed. “So far none of them have managed it.”

“I’ll sneak him onto your ship if you don’t take him,” Leon countered. “He’s a valuable weapon against that Bothan.” Leilani frowned, but Leon stood his ground. “If you’re worried about offending Hiss and the others, don’t be. They’d be happy to have Shadow along. And if they master the disappearing act en route, fine. Shadow can stay on board. But if they can’t, having a full twenty-man unit will make Zeich think there are no extras, and he won’t be looking for Shadow.”

“All right,” Leilani conceded. “On one condition.”

“Sure.”

“I need all the medics.” The officers froze in shock. “First Unit doesn’t have one; since they were Scratch’s unit, they were under Patch’s care. And if all of Smoke Squad is in the same shape as Kickstart, we’re going to need as many hands with medical training as we can get. I can’t heal them all,” she added grimly. Caon was staring at the group in disbelief. Leon had defied the General, threatened to smuggle a scout on board whatever ship she took if she wouldn’t agree to take him. She hadn’t punished him for questioning and outright defying her. She’d listened, and taken his suggestion.

“All right. Patch has to stay though; technically he’s assigned to the  _ Selfless _ ,” Leon pointed out. Leilani nodded.

“Of course. Officers, let Bacc, Cory, Stitch, and Chipper know. Caon, are you okay with this?” she asked, turning to the new Captain.

“You’re apparently rushing off to save five clones, against previous orders, and you’re asking  _ me _ if I’m okay with it?” he said disbelievingly.

“Of course. It’s your unit that would be in danger. Zeich is the reason for all but five of our new men. If you don’t want to be part of this for any reason, I’ll take a different unit or I’ll go alone,” she said.

“You mean you’ll take Shadow and the medics,” Leon corrected. Leilani huffed at him.

“Yes, Leon, of course.” Then she returned her attention to Caon. “Will you help me?” Caon watched her wordlessly for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“I think taking all of First Unit will be too many people, though,” he said. “If it is a trap, the 305 th can’t afford to lose that many people. If it isn’t a trap, and the Bothan keeps his word and just wants to finish whatever conversation he was talking about, then you won’t need that many. If you take me, Shadow, the medics, and a few others, we’ll be able to get a ship easier, and we’ll be more mobile. Easier to escape a trap, and not enough to spook the furball.” Leilani tilted her head thoughtfully at the suggestion, surprised he’d suggested she take him along. She would have expected him to volunteer Hawk or Rom to go.

“Caon has a point,” Crash said. “The moon incident – especially what happened with Trig – showed that the more people who face him, the more people he can get to.”

“I want Snap or Speedy, then,” Leilani decided. “If it comes down to it, they’ll be the snipers with the best chance of keeping up with Zeich’s speed. No pilots; I can fly the ship myself.”

“Unless you get injured saving a trooper again,” Hawk pointed out. “Take Whirlybird. He and Vortex and Jet were friends, but he wasn’t as close to them as some were.”

“Good idea,” Leilani admitted.

“Take Snap. He’ll appreciate the chance to see his new Captain in action,” Leon said, his usual lazy grin in place, but his eyes were serious.

“That should cover it,” Leilani decided. “I’ll ask the Kaminoans about a ship.”

“I’ll assemble the men,” Caon volunteered. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. Leilani nodded and strode out of the control room. As soon as she was gone, Fractal, Leon, and Crash closed in around Caon.

“If anyone dies, keep an eye on her,” Fractal said seriously. “She gets really down about it.” Caon started to protest, to say that surely a General could handle herself. “I mean it. And if you have to choose between saving her and saving another clone…”

“You’d prefer I save the General,” Caon guessed.

“We would like that. But she might be upset. So make your own decision. Just don’t do anything stupid like sacrifice yourself to let everyone else escape,” Crash commented, shooting a pointed look at Fractal, who shrugged.

“The point is, we can’t go with. So it’s up to you to protect the General, and not just physically,” Leon said. “You’ll have men with you that she’s familiar with, so you won’t be alone, but you’re the officer. If she’s hurt, or out of it, you’ll be in charge.”

“I know how the chain of command works,” Caon said, irritated. “Look, I don’t like her and I don’t trust her. But she’s my General too, now, and I’m going to do my duty. And I’m bringing all of my brothers back, too.”

“So that’s why she picked you,” Hawk chuckled. Caon blinked; when had the other Captain perched himself on the holotable?

“Good luck, Caon,” Fractal said. “One more thing. If the Bothan catches you, well…” Fractal shuddered. “Just don’t let him catch you.”

* * *

The Kaminoans didn’t have many spacecraft, but Leilani managed to convince them to lend her one that would be large enough for her and the men she was taking with, plus Smoke Squad, but small enough to be maneuverable. Whirlybird grinned when he saw the ship, named  _ Facsimile _ .

“Whirlybird, check the controls, make sure you can fly this thing,” Leilani ordered. The pilot nodded happily and headed for the ship. “Medics, there’s supposed to be a medbay on board.”

“We’ll make sure everything’s in order, General,” Bone assured her. Snap and Shadow were already on board, stowing their gear. Caon was standing at the boarding ramp, watching Leilani. Leon and the other officers approached, and Leilani smiled at them.

“You should take your assistant with you,” Fractal said without preamble.

“We’ve been over this,” Leilani replied gently. She didn’t want to leave them behind, but she knew that Fractal’s presence might be too much temptation for Zeich, despite the Bothan’s claim of letting go of him. And Crash was still recovering, and she really did need Leon to handle the troops while she was gone.

“Doesn’t mean we have to like it, General,” Leon pointed out. Leilani wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“The comm officers finally managed to contact Herring Company. They’re on Barab One still, and Shaka-ka is making arrangements to get them off planet as fast as he can,” Crash reported. “They’re all safe, except for Smoke Squad.”

“That’s good. Does the Council know about what’s happened?” Leilani asked.

“General Cathmore said that she’d get around to telling them in an hour or two. So you’d better hurry,” Leon replied.

“All right. Thanks, guys. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Leilani assured them. Then she turned and headed for the ship. She went straight to the cockpit, where Whirlybird was waiting in the copilot’s seat. “Ready?”

“The others have their gear stored, and I’ve looked over the controls to make sure I know what I’m doing,” the pilot said with a grin.

“Good. And you got the coordinates from Glitch?”

“Yeah. It’s deep space though. No planets,” Whirlybird said, frowning. “Maybe he’s expecting a ship to ship meeting.”

“Or maybe it’s a trap,” Leilani sighed. “Either way, we have to check it out. Let’s go.” She sat in the pilot’s seat and fired up the engines. Whirlybird plugged in the coordinates, and the  _ Facsimile _ lifted from its platform and moved away from the Kaminoan city.

The hyperspace journey wasn’t long, only a few hours. During that time, Leilani and the clones medicated and discussed possible strategies. Cory and Caon, having never met Zeich, had to be filled in on the 305 th ’s history with the Bothan Sith.

“General?” Leilani looked up and found Caon had joined her in the cockpit. Whirlybird was with the other clones, cleaning and double checking their weapons.

“Hello, Captain. Have a seat,” she invited, gesturing to the currently empty copilot’s chair. He sat, and was quiet for a moment.

“There’s something you aren’t saying about what happened with the pilots Zeich apparently killed before,” he said after gathering his thoughts. “Whirlybird knows something, but he isn’t about to tell me anything unless you tell him to. And I don’t trust commanders who keep information from their troops.”

“Whirlybird isn’t saying anything because he isn’t sure what to make of what he knows,” Leilani told him. “Honestly, I just don’t know how to explain it to any of my men. That’s why I haven’t said anything to them. Except Crash, but he overheard a conversation with...nevermind. The point is, most of the men don’t know.” She glanced at Caon, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. “But Zeich is likely to bring it up, and since I doubt I can leave everyone with the ship, I’ll have to explain before we get to the coordinates anyway,” she sighed. “I’ve told you about my telepathy.” It wasn’t a question, but Caon nodded anyway, still watching her suspiciously. “Well, I have an ability that goes beyond that. It’s called linking, and it opens a two-way connection between myself and another being. Most Jedi who link do so with other Jedi, so the link depth and strength is more easily regulated. Skills, experiences, thoughts, emotions, all can be shared via link. The coordination and reflexes brought on by that sharing is…impressive. After Zeich killed Jet, he targeted Vortex, and I linked with him to try to give him the boost he needed to evade and possibly shoot down the Bothan’s fighter. It didn’t work.”

“This link sounds like it would be incredibly…intimate,” Caon said hesitantly. Leilani nodded, her gaze growing distant.

“It can be. The trust and vulnerability involved are often a barrier to a successful link, especially if the two people don’t know each other. But that wasn’t the problem. Vortex trusted me, and I trusted him. There was no time to worry about vulnerability. We linked easily, way too easily. Too deeply. When Vortex died…” Leilani’s voice shook, and she shuddered with remembered pain, darkness…the overwhelming loneliness and fury that had engulfed her. She hadn’t meant to go into detail, but Caon’s expression had changed, so maybe it wasn’t a bad thing.

“You are the strangest Jedi I have ever met,” he informed her. “Why would you put yourself at risk for whatever pain came with Vortex dying, just to maybe save him?”

“He was one of my men,” Leilani answered. “And he was a friend. Zeich has taken too many friends from me. This time, if we can capture him, I’m not going to risk Bacc and the others sedating him again. He’s a menace, and he needs to be put down before he hurts any more of my people.” Her voice was rough, angry, and determined. Caon wasn’t sure what to think. This was a very different General Odelia than the one who had greeted the newcomers with a friendly smile and talked to each officer cadet individually. Or maybe this was just the result of her efforts to get close to her men as individuals. He didn’t think anyone, even a Jedi, could fake that kind of emotional reaction. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t putting on her protection act to win the men over. The Jedi took a deep breath and turned to Caon. “But enough about that horrible Bothan. Would you tell me about the Jedi you’ve met? If your views on them are anything to go by, they’re Jedi I would rather not be assigned to work with, so if I know their names, at least…” She trailed off, noticing the darkening of the Captain’s expression. “Only if you want to, though.”

“I’ve encountered a few Generals, all of whom viewed the clones under their command as little more than droids,” Caon said grimly. “The last one…” His fingers curled into fists, and he expected the Jedi to drop the topic, maybe reprimand him for his emotion, despite her own display of feelings earlier. Instead, she rested her small hands gently on top of his fists.

“You’ve fought under the command of those disconnected Jedi,” she realized. “And one of them sent you back to Kamino. That’s why you’re so angry and guarded. That’s why you thought I would send you back for speaking up.”

“They made me a cadet again because I defied an order from the General I was serving,” Caon admitted. He wasn’t sure how the Jedi would react, but after she’d shared the information about linking and Vortex’s death, he was willing to take a risk and tell her what had happened. “The General – I’ll be honest, I don’t even know his name – ordered us not to retreat, but I pulled my men back anyway. We would have been overwhelmed and wiped out. I saved my men, and once we’d regrouped, we took the air base we were attacking. But I was labeled defective and returned to Kamino for further training.” Caon tried to keep his voice even, but his words shook, and he knew his anger and hurt had shown. Leilani’s fingers tightened on his hands.

“Caon.” He stared at her hands on his, not wanting to look at her expression and see if he’d just made a huge mistake. “I’m so sorry.” One of her hands lifted, and her fingertips brushed his cheek. “No Jedi should treat anyone like that. But I promise that it’s in your past. I will never punish you for protecting your men. And I will never send you back. I told you before, you’re one of my men now, and that means I’m going to protect you along with everyone else in my legion. If any Jedi ever tries to treat you like that again, please tell me. I’ll set them straight,” she added. Caon lifted his gaze to her face, stunned by the ferocity in her words. She smiled and turned back to the controls. “You have a home here, Caon. No one will take that from you.” He glanced at her, then turned his own focus to the streaks of light around them.

He wasn’t sure he could trust her yet, wasn’t sure he ever would.

But the intensity of her determination was…reassuring.

“About the link…” Caon said hesitantly. “Your men trust you. They have a lot of faith in you, and they want to support you. Even I can see how devoted a lot of them are. Leon’s words in the control room earlier are proof of it. Just tell them, and make it sooner rather than later.”

“Thank you, Caon. For someone who doesn’t like or trust me, you’re very helpful,” she observed.

“Your officers would throw me to the droids if I wasn’t,” he replied. Leilani laughed.

“You’re one of my officers too, now,” she reminded him. The ship’s nav computer beeped, alerting them to the fact that they were nearing their destination. “I better tell them quick. Would you mind keeping an eye on things here?”

“I may not be your biggest fan, General, but you can count on me,” Caon said firmly. The Jedi smiled, then stood and made her way out of the cockpit, leaving Caon to his thoughts. 

 


	17. No Need to Say Goodbye

When the  _ Facsimile _ dropped out of hyperspace, Whirlybird frowned in confusion, and Leilani eyed the image before them warily. A space station where there should be only empty space was teeming with vessels of every shape and size, short of a military cruiser.

“Can we contact Master Cathmore?” Leilani asked. “If anyone will know what this is, she will.”

“I can try, but I don’t know if we’ll get a response,” Whirlybird said, activating the communications array. “I think…oh. We have an incoming transmission, General. Audio only.”

“Let it through. Let’s see what’s going on,” Leilani decided. The pilot nodded.

“Welcome to the Auction. Please follow the flight path being sent to your ship now. Upon docking, you will be assigned a bidding number. Five days remain until the bidding starts. You may browse the items to be auctioned and enjoy the amenities of the station.” The transmission ended, and Leilani exchanged glances with Whirlybird.

“An Auction? Did Glitch mess up the coordinates again?” the pilot muttered. Leilani shook her head, reaching out tentatively, searching for familiar Force presences. Energy crackled from the space station.

“No. We’re in the right place. Zeich is just using the people here to make sure we don’t cause a scene,” Leilani said grimly. “Or maybe he has some plan that involves this auction. Follow the flight path. Try to contact Master Cathmore again once we’ve docked. I’ll investigate.”

“Yes, General,” Whirlybird replied. When they docked, no one came to meet them. Instead, a simple message was waiting, instructing them to enjoy themselves. Leilani frowned and turned to her men, who were clustered around her.

“If you go out there in your armor or fatigues, someone will notice. Even Shadow may not be able to hide in this situation,” she told them. “So I want you to stay here. I’m going to go and find some less…conspicuous clothing.” She could tell they weren’t happy about it, but Shadow was the only one to try to protest. Before he could say anything, though, Leilani held up a hand, gently forestalling him. “Shadow, I’m not underestimating you. But you aren’t used to civilian surroundings. Let me go first, and once I’ve gotten something for you to wear besides clothes that scream ‘Republic soldier’, you can come with, I promise.”

“Yes, General,” Shadow sighed. Caon studied her quietly, but didn’t speak.

“Keep trying to reach Master Cathmore. If you get a hold of her, tell her that I’ll be needing some credits transferred to my account, and answer any questions she has about this station,” Leilani ordered. “We might be here a while; I can sense Zeich, but I can’t tell exactly where he is.” As she spoke, she loosened her utility belt, then shifted the fabric with the Force, closing her eyes in concentration. When she opened her eyes, her tunic’s extra fabric, which she usually kept folded out of the way and pinned in place, had fallen so she now appeared to be wearing a short dress instead of a Jedi’s uniform. She shifted her lightsaber, unclipping it from her hip and refastening it to her belt at the small of her back, where it looked less like a weapon, but she could still reach it easily. Then she turned and stepped into the connection tube. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” The doors closed behind her, and she set out down the tube. As she walked, she paid attention to her own movements, carefully making them less graceful than usual, her steps shorter and sharper.

She reached the end of the tube and pressed the keypad beside the door, which opened.

“Welcome, bidder 479,” an automated voice greeted her. Leilani raised an eyebrow, then continued. She found herself in a bustling marketplace, full of stalls selling food, weapons, armor, and clothing. The armor caught her eye. It was sturdy stuff, and looked almost familiar. She frowned and moved closer. The helmets on display had a T-shaped visor, similar to the helmets the clones wore. She saw the stall’s sign, and understanding flooded her. It was Mandalorian armor, the best in the galaxy. The stuff was even supposed to be lightsaber resistant. It definitely repelled blaster fire better than the plastoid plates her men wore.

Ziech’s comment about better armor tugged at the back of her mind, but Leilani pushed it aside for now. She couldn’t afford Mando armor for her men, and she had other concerns. The stall next to the one selling armor had plain clothes, but those wouldn’t fit in here. Most of the people she could see wore fine material, with some form of ornamentation.

Leilani made her way down the aisle between stalls, studying them and contemplating the various wares. She had some money in her account, left over from her last mission with Marva and Jada. She could afford some of the nicer outfits, which would be better at blending in. Maybe, if the Council wasn’t too angry with her over this, she could even write the expense off as a cost of a mission, and get refunded.

For now, though… She pictured the clones in her head, one by one, and chose clothing that would suit each man’s personality. For Shadow, she got a less flashy outfit, one that wouldn’t draw attention by being too high-end or too worn-looking. Whirlybird would need something functional, in case they needed a quick exit. Thinking of the medics, she found some outfits that wouldn’t get in the way if they needed to perform first aid. Snap would need something that wouldn’t show dirt if he ended up in a less-than-clean sniper nest, so she found an especially stain-resistant material for him. Which just left herself and Caon.

She found a gown for herself, green and gold, and smiled to herself. Gold, the color of her lightsaber and the 305 th . She bought the dress, and on impulse, grabbed a suit that matched it. She needed something for Caon anyway. Leilani made her way back toward where the  _ Facsimile _ was docked, having sent her purchases ahead to be left outside the ship. As she neared the docking tube, a familiar presence flared in the Force, and she froze, reaching out.

_ Imp! Imp, where are you? _

_ General… _ The sense of recognition gave her the lock she needed on the presence’s location, and she darted between two stalls, following the sense she had.

_ Imp! _ Pain and confusion flickered, accompanied by a buzzing that was just familiar enough to make Leilani feel nauseated, and Imp’s presence wasn’t clear enough for her to communicate very well, but she was able to trace the feelings to where he was slumped against one of the stalls, battered and wearing torn civilian clothes. There was a piece of flimsi pinned to his arm. She knelt beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, and she withdrew her hand. Leilani grabed the flimsi and read the words written on it.

‘General, this is a peace offering. To get Smoke Squad back, you will have to fulfill a few requests I have. I will send a message to your ship each day, and for each request you complete, I will return one man to you. Today’s is free. Feel free to try to find me. If you locate the rest of the squad before the auction begins, you can have them, no strings attached. Otherwise, the requests are the only way to retrieve them. I wish to test your skills, to see if you are capable of what I have planned. You have the rest of the day to prepare.’

The note wasn’t signed, but Leilani knew who it was from. Zeich was toying with her, with the lives of her men. Her friends. She crumpled the note in her hand and almost threw it away, then realized it might have some hidden importance and tucked it into a pouch on her belt instead.

“Imp, if you can hear me, I need to get you back to my ship. Can you stand?” The clone groaned, and Leilani grimaced. She activated her comm.

“Odelia to  _ Facsimile _ ,” she said. “Come in, Whirlybird.”

“I’m here,” came the almost immediate answer. Leilani felt a wave of relief; he hadn’t called her General. If someone was listening in – and with one Bothan for sure in the area, and given the location of the space station, someone probably was – this conversation wouldn’t immediately mark them as Republic military. “What do you need?”

“I’ve found a friend, but he’s going to need some help getting somewhere safe. Could you have someone keep an eye out in the docking tube? I think I can get him that far,” she said.

“I think we can handle that. Bone’ll be waiting for you,” Whirlybird assured her.

“Thanks. We’ll be there soon.” Leilani deactivated the device, then carefully lifted one of Imp’s arms and placed it around her shoulder. She stood, using the Force to lift him, but keeping her arms around him so it wasn’t as obvious that a seemingly normal human teenager was lifting a full grown man by herself.

“Gen…ral?” Imp mumbled. Leilani started him walking toward the  _ Facsimile _ , though he wasn’t carrying much of his own weight.

“It’s okay, Imp,” she replied. “I’ve got you.”

“Others…” he rasped.

“We’ll get them, don’t worry. Let’s just focus on you for now, okay?”

“’Kay..”

Leilani bit her lip. The pain and buzzing she felt from him wasn’t the same as what she’d sensed in Fractal, but it was similar. She shuddered, wondering what Zeich had done to her friends.

* * *

 

Leilani watched silently as Bone and the other medics examined Imp in the medbay. He was in terrible condition, and when he was conscious, complained of headaches and strange noises. His presence was filled with buzzing, pain, confusion…and traces of something that was familiar, but Leilani couldn’t quite place it.

“General?” She turned and found Shadow beside her, dressed in the clothes she’d bought. “Permission to explore the station, sir?” Leilani hesitated. She didn’t want to send him out, not when Zeich was wandering free. She’d shown them the note, and Whirlybird was scanning it into the ship’s computer to send to Master Cathmore. “If it’ll make you feel better, Snap said he’d come with me.” Leilani wasn’t sure there would be strength in numbers, but at least if Zeich managed to take one by surprise, the other would be able to call for help.

“All right. Be careful, Shadow,” she added. He started to salute, but she grabbed his wrist. He paused, surprised. “That’s an order, but it’s also a request.” She knew she should show her men her strength, but she wasn’t sure how to show something she wasn’t feeling. Seeing Imp this way, having seen Kickstart in a similar condition, and now this note… She wasn’t sure how strong she could be. She knew that when she faced the Bothan, she would find her determination, fueled by her desire to protect her people. But now, with no enemy to face, with no set goal… “Please. Come back safe.”

“We’ll be fine, General,” the scout assured her. “If we see any sign of the Bothan, we’ll contact you.” Leilani nodded and released his wrist. He left, and she sensed Snap walking with him away from the ship. She turned her attention back to Imp and the medics bustling around him.

“You know that’s not going to help him,” Caon commented, walking up. Leilani shook her head.

“What else can I do? I can’t heal him. Not if I want to be able to help the others,” she sighed. She hadn’t left the medbay since she’d gone into the hold for a moment to change into the gown she’d purchased.

“Why not explore? Whirlybird would probably enjoy exploring the station,” Caon suggested.

“He’s waiting to hear back from Master Cathmore, and I already have two men out there,” Leilani replied. “Besides, someone has to protect the medics.” Caon hesitated, his uncertainty showing in his posture but not in his Force presence.

“I can protect the medics. Or Whirlybird can. But you standing over them isn’t helping, and if you’re on the ship, you’ll be focused on them,” he pointed out. Leilani grimaced.

“You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right.” She tilted her head. “Are you interested in exploring?” Caon blinked.

“I suppose I am. I don’t like staying in one place very long,” he admitted.

“Then if you’re so adamant that I should leave the ship, you should come with me,” she suggested. Caon hesitated.

“Is that an order, General?” he asked. Leilani frowned. She’d thought they were getting along better, and had hoped he would be open to the idea. Apparently, she hadn’t made as much progress in trying to understand the new Captain as she thought she had.  

“Of course not. If you want to stay here, or go with one of your brothers, you can. I wouldn’t force my company where it’s not wanted,” she said quietly, hoping her disappointment didn’t show. “I’ll go check on Whirlybird.” She turned and left the medbay, making her way quickly to the cockpit.

“Hey, General. You just missed a transmission from General Cathmore. She said there should be enough credits in your account for the next four missions, so if you run out, your account is being hacked,” the pilot told her cheerfully.

“Thanks, Whirlybird,” she replied. “Do you want to explore the station?” The clone paused and turned in the copilot’s seat to study her.

“I thought Caon would escort you,” he said slowly. “Since he’s an officer, and it was his idea to get you off the ship to try to distract you.” His mind was shielded, and Leilani refused to try to sense anything past that shield, so she settled for studying his expression. His eyes were narrowed, as though he was trying to sort something out. Finally, Whirlybird seemed to come to a conclusion. “I would like to go explore, but I know how to work the ship’s communication system. I should stay here. I’ll pull up the auction catalogue too, see if I notice anything that might explain why our favorite Bothan would pick this place. General Cathmore says this is a well-known, high end black market arrangement. So all kinds of interesting things might be up for sale.” Leilani tilted her head.

“See if you can find any deals on Mandalorian armor,” she told him. “Find out if anyone selling it here has the real thing, and if you can order in bulk and with specific designs, then run the information on the sellers by Master Cathmore if you can.” Whirlybird nodded and turned to the controls to hide his confusion. “If I can, I’d like to take advantage of this place and get some decent armor for the 305 th . Plastoid is nice and all, but…”

“But it’s no match for blaster fire and Annihilator feet,” Whirlybird finished grimly. “I understand.”

“I’ll look around for it, too. And anything else that might be useful,” Leilani told him. “With you searching the computers and me doing the foot work, it should be easier to get an answer.”

“Agreed. I’ll call if I find anything,” Whirlybird said. Leilani smiled.

“Thanks. I’ll see if I can find some good food, too, and bring it back here,” she mused. “Something besides rations and mess hall food would be wonderful.” The pilot grinned.

“I look forward to whatever you find,” he told her. “Be careful, General.”

“I will,” she replied. She made her way out of the cockpit, feeling a little lighter. Caon may not like her, but Whirlybird was still his friendly, practical self. She decided she’d check on Shadow and Snap, too, just to make sure they hadn’t gotten into trouble.

When she reached the docking tube, she paused. Caon stood there, shoulders stiff, dressed in the outfit that matched her gown. She tilted her head curiously as she moved closer.

“Captain?” She had meant to simply greet him, but it had come out as a question.

“I’ve decided I would like to take you up on your invitation, if it’s still open, General,” he said stiffly. Leilani blinked.

“Of course it’s still open. But I thought…”

_ You don’t trust me. You don’t like me. I don’t actually know why you accepted this post, since you hate Jedi so much. _ She shook off her thoughts.

“I didn’t expect you to change your mind,” she said finally.

“Just as clones are individuals and shouldn’t be judged as a group, Jedi are individuals too,” Caon replied. “It would be rude of me to continue to judge you based on my previous experiences with other Jedi.”

“It’s perfectly reasonable, natural, and completely all right for you to judge Jedi based on other Jedi,” Leilani replied. “You’ve had bad experiences. Pressing you to ignore them would be wrong.”

“I’m not ignoring them. But I also don’t want those Generals to define me,” Caon announced. He wasn’t sure he really thought this Jedi would be different than the others, but he hadn’t liked the hurt in her eyes when he’d asked if her invitation was an order. He’d gotten glares from Bone, Bacc, and Chipper, too, and considering Chipper had been smiling every other time Caon had seen him, that was rather intimidating. So he decided that, at least while they were in such close quarters and away from the rest of the 305 th , he would give her a chance to prove herself.

Leilani saw the determination and something that she almost thought was regret in his eyes, though she could have been wrong, since she couldn’t sense any of what he was feeling past his shields.

“All right. Let’s go see what there is to see at the Auction,” she said, hope prickling at her mind. Maybe she had reached a bit better understanding of him after all.


	18. You'll Come Back When It's Over

Leilani paused at a stall to examine a soft golden sash on display and wished she’d brought her gear from missions with Marva and Jada. She had plenty of civilian garments, and most of them were easier to conceal her lightsaber in. With her current gown, she’d had to strap the weapon to the small of her back, beneath the decorative bow. It wasn’t an easy place to retrieve her weapon from, but she hoped she wouldn’t need it. Caon was unarmed as far as she knew, and she didn’t like the thought of him getting into trouble because he didn’t have a blaster.

“I never thought I’d see someone like you in an outfit like that,” Caon muttered. Leilani glanced at him and grinned.

“Just because I have a usual style doesn’t mean I can’t dress up every once in a while. Especially when it will help achieve a goal,” she replied. She was about to make a comment about how long it had been since she’d seen a clone in anything but armor or fatigues, but something caught her eye. She frowned and moved to a stall a few steps away, selling weapons. Her eyes widened. “That’s impossible,” she whispered.

“What is?” Caon joined her and blinked at the weapons display. “What are crystals doing in a weapons display?” Leilani turned to the stall’s owner, a Duro.

“Where did you get these?” she demanded, pointing to the crystals.

“That’s not how this works,” the Duro replied, red eyes narrowing. “Are you looking to buy?” Leilani glanced at the price on the crystals and shook her head. She considered turning away, just leaving it and contacting Marva for more funds, or maybe conducting a raid. But one crystal drew her attention with a whisper of familiarity in the Force.

“Yaddle,” Leilani whispered. She reached out and gently rested her fingertip on the little green crystal.

“What?” Caon seemed confused.

“You can’t touch that!” the Duro growled. Leilani ignored them both, closing her eyes. It couldn’t really be the same crystal, could it? Every crystal in the display gleamed in a friendly way, the Force flowing through them as if they were almost alive. That one in particular shone, familiarity and comfort radiating from it. It was small, but the shade of green was as brilliant and clear as could be. Leilani felt a pang of grief, like an old wound acting up.

“How much for this one?” she asked, knowing full well that she shouldn’t spend her credits on this, not when she didn’t know how much she would need.

“You don’t look like you even know what to do with a crystal like that,” the Duro sneered, eyeing her speculatively. Leilani briefly considered taking her lightsaber out and showing him what exactly she knew how to do with those crystals, but she knew she couldn’t do that. So instead, she shrugged.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. But Caon here knows what to do with a lot of things,” she told him, gesturing to the clone. The Duro’s eyes narrowed as he looked Caon over. Something in the clone’s expression and stance must have convinced the stall owner of something, because when Caon stepped forward, scowling, he held up his hands.

“Easy there. Don’t sic your bodyguard on me, miss,” he protested. Caon took another step forward, arms crossed and expression darkening further. “Tell you what, I’ll cut you a deal. Half price. That one’s too small anyway.” Leilani refused to let him see her indignation at that. Whether the crystal was actually Yaddle’s or not, it was the same size hers had been. It was  _ not _ a useless crystal. He held out a datapad, and she put in the numbers to transfer the credits to his account. Then she plucked the crystal from the display.

“Come on, Caon. Let’s go,” she said, gripping the crystal tightly. Caon followed her away from the stall, waiting until they were out of earshot before speaking.

“What is that?” he asked.

“It’s a special crystal,” Leilani told him. “The kind used to make lightsabers.” The Captain’s eyes widened.

“That little rock makes a lightsaber work?” Caon shook his head.

“Yeah. And this one…I don’t have the talent of reading an object’s history, so I can’t know for sure, but it’s the same size, shape, and color as the one that belonged to my Master,” she told him.

“So your Master lost their lightsaber?”

“No. My Master died when I was still a Padawan, a little over five years ago,” Leilani replied, her fingers tightening around the crystal in her hand. She didn’t look at Caon, wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. She’d had enough pity when she was twelve, with her Master dead before she could turn thirteen. She’d also had enough of people telling her the loss would make her stronger when she was thirteen, when the other Jedi decided she’d mourned long enough.

“Her lightsaber wasn’t retrieved?” Caon guessed, studying the Jedi.

“No, it wasn’t. She died absorbing an explosion to save others,” Leilani said quietly, holding up the crystal. “There was nothing left of her…not that Jedi Masters always leave bodies.” She shook away thoughts of her Master, not wanting to invite the gnawing emptiness back. “I promised Whirlybird fancy civilian food. Let’s see what we can find.” Caon nodded, and they moved toward the food stalls at the end of the row. Leilani placed orders with several venders, asking them to deliver the food to her ship. She noticed Caon eyeing a dessert stand curiously and grinned. When she’d first been assigned to them at the beginning of the Clone Wars, Smoke Squad hadn’t had much for sweets, so she’d snuck Ghost and Kickstart off the ship. They’d made a trip to the next system – Bespin wasn’t known for its quality desserts – and come back with enough sweets for everyone in Herring Company. Marva hadn’t been pleased at first, but when she’d seen how much most of the men had enjoyed what they’re brought. Silver hadn’t cared for the sweets, Leilani remembered with a pang. He’d kept frowning at Ghost and Kickstart, until they’d presented him with a sour candy from some world that Leilani knew Jada liked. Silver had reluctantly tried it, and while he hadn’t reacted as enthusiastically as Skritt had to the candies and other sweets, half of the sour treats had gone missing when Leilani turned her back, and Silver seemed oddly content for the next few days.

“You okay?” Leilani looked up. Caon was frowning at her.

“Sorry, Caon. I was just thinking,” Leilani said. “Let’s get some desserts, too.” Caon seemed like he was going to ask what she’d been thinking about, but he turned his attention to the dessert stalls instead. After choosing an assortment of sweets and paying, they made their way back to the  _ Facsimile. _ Snap and Shadow reached the docking tube at the same time Caon and Leilani did, having returned to the ship because they were hungry. Whirlybird had received the food as it had been sent back, and had arranged it in the hold. Leilani volunteered to watch Imp so the medics could eat, since they’d finished patching him up as best they could while she and Caon were out.

Leilani sat in the medbay, eyes closed, awareness loose and floating, enjoying the excitement and happiness she sensed from the men in the hold. One of them – Cory, the new medic – didn’t like how spicy the Mandalorian food Caon had wanted was. The others were teasing him about it, but it was all good-natured banter, the men relaxed despite the reason for their presence at the station.

Imp stirred, and Leilani’s attention snapped back to her immediate surroundings. She was standing by his cot in an instant.

“Imp?” she whispered. His eyes flickered open, and he groaned.

“General…?” He lifted a hand to his head. “What are you doing here?”

“The Bothan invited me,” she replied grimly, gently laying a hand on his shoulder when he tried to sit up. “You shouldn’t move. Just relax, okay?” The weapons specialist sighed and did as he was told.

“My head is killing me,” he grumbled. “I feel like I got trampled by droids.”

“That would be Zeich’s fault,” Leilani sighed. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Of course I do. We were guarding the ship, and that Bothan came back, must’ve gotten around General Cathmore somehow. He took us all down, easy, with some nasty lightning trick. Next thing I knew, I was locked in Smoke Squad’s quarters with the others. Our gear was all gone, and he changed the combination to unlock the door. Everyone was in pretty rough shape…and everyone had awful headaches. We kept hearing noises, too, like someone said something, but every time it happened, everyone insisted they hadn’t said anything.” Imp paused, rubbing his temple. “None of that’s gone away. I could’ve sworn I heard Skritt just now, you know, that little squeak he makes when someone elbows him too hard?” Leilani frowned.

“Zeich did something to you while you were unconscious,” she said. “He must have. He’s done with whatever it is, though, because he said he’ll release one of you each day, as long as I do some things for him.”

“He said…we were his leverage. That as fun as we were, he was going to use us for something better,” Imp whispered. “Don’t do what he wants, General. We’re not worth it.”

“You know better than to use that as your argument, Imp,” Leilani snapped. “You are worth it, and I’ve already decided. I’m getting the rest of Smoke Squad back. You just have to rest and get better, okay?”

“General…”

“That’s an order, Imp,” she said gently. The corners of his mouth twitched upward in amusement.

“Sir, yes, sir,” he replied. His eyes softened. “Silver tried to tell Zeich you wouldn’t come for us, that we weren’t important enough. But that Bothan could tell he didn’t believe it. None of us did. We knew you’d come for us, General.” He winced, rubbing his shoulder for a moment. Leilani frowned; she hadn’t sensed any pain in that area, but the pain had flared dimly in his mind. “We knew we just had to hold out. We just had to last through the pain until you came.” Leilani took his calloused hand in her smaller ones and squeezed gently.

“You might not be under my command anymore, but I’ll always come when Smoke Squad needs me,” she promised softly. “I won’t let you or the others down.”

“I know,” Imp replied, rubbing his shoulder again. “I don’t feel any bandages,” he muttered. “But my shoulder hurts.” Leilani rested her fingertips on his temples.

“Can I check something?” she asked.

“Of course,” he agreed. Leilani closed her eyes and eased her awareness outward, scanning his body for injuries and cataloguing them in her own head, then turned her attention to his mind. When what she was sensing registered, she pulled back a bit.

“Your shields are down,” she said. “And…your mind is stretched.”

“Stretched?” Imp repeated. “That doesn’t sound good…”

“I can’t tell if it’s good or bad. But that might be the cause of your headache. As for your shoulder…the pain is coming from one of the stretched sections,” she told him, trying to explain what she was sensing. It was like…like when she’d sensed two Jedi link. Their minds felt stretched, but it didn’t cause them pain. And this was…there were four stretched places, which didn’t make any sense. Unless…was it possible to use the Force to link other minds together when neither mind was Force-sensitive? Had Zeich found a way to link Smoke Squad’s members to each other? But how?

The chips? Was this still about the chips? Leilani bit her lip. She just didn’t know. She needed to talk to someone about this, someone experienced with linking and healing minds. Marva may know about the theory, but she didn’t have the same connection talent Leilani did. Jada didn’t have the experience…Gavin didn’t either, and Leilani had no idea what Master Ayeh was capable of. Maybe one of the others. But so many of them were Generals with their own battles to fight.

The Temple. If Zeich didn’t explain to her what he’d done to Smoke Squad, Leilani would have to take them to the Temple back on Coruscant. The Temple healers might know how to help them.

Leilani watched over Imp as he slept. He’d been in and out of consciousness all afternoon, and the medics – the ones that had tended Fractal, anyway – said that he was doing much better than Fractal had. Whirlybird had come by to give Leilani a datapad with a list of items he thought might have attracted the Bothan’s attention. She was scrolling through the list when Cory came to check on Imp again.

“General, you really should get some rest,” Cory murmured as he checked Imp’s bandages. “Everyone who isn’t on watch is getting ready to sleep.”

“Who’s on watch?” she asked, although she could easily find out by reaching out to see who was trying to stay awake and who was trying to relax.

“Shadow and I have first watch tonight. Then it’ll be Snap and Bacc, then Bone and Caon. Whirylbird and Chipper will start the rotation tomorrow night,” Cory answered. He hesitated, then spoke. “If you do whatever Zeich requests of you tomorrow, you should take a medic with you.” Leilani studied him quietly, and he met her gaze steadily.

“I’m glad you’re fitting in with the other medics so well, Cory,” she said. “And I’ll do as you suggest. Would you like to come with me on whatever task I have tomorrow?” The newest medic grinned.

“That sounds like fun, General,” he answered. She smiled.

“Good. I may ask some of the others to come with, too, depending on what the task is,” she mused.

“What do you think he’ll ask you to do?” Cory’s brow furrowed worriedly. “It can’t be anything good, considering he’s Bothan, Sith, and he’s been experimenting on the men he captured.” Leilani tilted her head. She hadn’t mentioned her suspicions about the chips and Zeich’s possible meddling.

“What makes you think he’s experimenting?” she asked. Cory was silent, searching for words. Then he beckoned her closer, and she stood and walked to stand beside him.

“See the patterns of the wounds? He has electricity burns scattered over his body, and several burns and bone bruises from being beaten. But his head hadn’t been touched. Nothing is broken. Every wound is painful, but nowhere near fatal. He didn’t need to hurt Imp to incapacitate him, or there would be more lasting damage. He subdued him with whatever is causing the headaches and phantom pains. The wounds aren’t consistent with torture or Zeich entertaining himself with their pain. It’s more like he was testing the areas. I’d need to see the wounds on the other men to get anything that even resembles a theory, but…” Cory shrugged. “It just seems methodical.” Leilani nodded slowly. Cory’s observations lined up with the story Imp had told her.

“Cory,” she said hesitantly. “Did the other medics tell you much about what Fractal’s symptoms were when we first found him?”

“They had me read his file. Imp’s symptoms are similar, but not identical,” Cory answered.

“And I mentioned the bio chips he claims are in all clones’ heads, right?”

“You did,” the medic replied. “But…oh. If he tried to disable Fractal’s, like I’ve heard he told you, and it caused the memory loss and other symptoms, maybe he’s messing with the chip in Imp in a different way. If the chips are real,” Cory added, frowning.

“Imp’s mind feels stretched, similar to when I sense others linking,” she said.

“You mean like what you were talking about before we got here? You think he’s using the chips to create an artificial link?” Cory shook his head. “Is that even possible?”

“It shouldn’t be. But with the reputation Zeich’s family has…who knows?” Leilani shrugged. “I’m planning to ask the Temple healers about it if I can’t figure it out or get Zeich to tell me. As for what he has planned for these requests of his…” She sighed. “I’ll deal with each one as it comes, and I’ll keep looking for the other men in the meantime.”

“You’ll need rest to do that,” Cory pointed out. Leilani laughed softly.

“You’re right. Thank you, Cory. I think I’ll go to bed after all,” she decided. Cory relaxed.

“Good. Bone and the others threatened to skin me if I didn’t make sure you rested,” he admitted. Leilani shook her head.

“Medics,” she sighed. “Always so worried about little things like rest.” Her words were soft, and she smiled when she said them. “Good night, Cory.”

“Good night, General.”

Leilani left the medbay and made her way to the ship’s captain’s quarters. The clones were sharing a couple of rooms with several bunks in each, and left the captain’s quarters for her. She went inside and closed the door behind her, then sat on the bed, placing her lightsaber and the crystal on the shelf nearby. She reached out, checking the presence of each of her men. Everyone was asleep, except for Cory and Shadow, the latter of which was in the cockpit.

She expanded her awareness, searching for Silver, Skritt, Kickstart, and Ghost, but found nothing. She didn’t know how, but the Bothan had to be shielding them from her somehow. And he was shielding himself, too. She’d look into it tomorrow while she waited for the request.

She pulled her awareness back and laid down, falling asleep quickly.

She dreamed.

_ Everything was on fire, everything was light and heat. But surprisingly, there was no pain. Only a surge of energy so strong that she wondered if her very being would be blown away. _

_ Instead, the light and heat faded, the energy swirling away to nothingness. _

_ And she remained. _

_ But she wasn’t herself. She was watching herself – or rather, her younger self, the twelve-year-old girl sleeping fitfully at the Jedi Temple, waiting anxiously for her Master to return. _

_ She was looking through her Master’s eyes. _

_ There was regret, but also pride. _

_ Yaddle had known even as she died that her Padawan was safe, would grow. _

_ She saw flashes of Leilani’s future, a Padawan braid falling to the ground, the girl rising and becoming a Knight. A swirl of gold, a flash of dark fur. A flare of red, but then golden warmth. _

_ There would be pain ahead of her Padawan, Yaddle had known in her last moments. Pain, and grief, and loneliness. _

_ But she would survive. She would grow stronger. And she would find the connections she needed. _

_ Yaddle faded, and Leilani was left with the gnawing emptiness she would feel for years to come. _

_ The dream changed, then. _

_ Leilani was no longer viewing her own future through her Master’s eyes. She was just…viewing. _

_ A flash of fur, then claws tearing through flesh. A green lightsaber, and a gold one, flashing side by side. A blue blade joined, and another gold. More and more light, in different colors, different shades. _

_ And between those bars of light were people. Not Jedi. Clones. Many, many clones, their helmets off, wearing green armor, slashed with gold. Some had other colors mixed in, black and blue and orange. _

_ The light flared, then faded, leaving behind a sense of…peace. Loneliness, emptiness, grief, sorrow, all still remained. But there was hope, determination, companionship. _

_ Love. _

_ A deep, fierce love, that filled the emptiness. _

Leilani woke with a sharp yearning inside, an eagerness for the future that she hadn’t known since her Master’s death. She wanted to know how much of that dream was her own imagination, and how much was the Force speaking to her, if any of it.

The armor, all those lightsabers…

What could it mean? Did it mean anything?

The peace and joy of the end of the dream settled over her, and she smiled. She reached out and picked up the crystal she’d set beside her lightsaber on the shelf beside the bed. She touched it lightly. She knew the green that crystal would make a lightsaber blade shine, and it wasn’t a shade she’d seen in her dream.

But for now, for this one instant, that was okay.

Leilani set the crystal back and rolled over.

Sleep claimed her again, this time deep and dreamless. 


	19. No Need to Say Goodbye

The crackle of electricity jolted Leilani awake. She grabbed her lightsaber and reached out, taking inventory of her men. Bone and Caon were awake, but the others were still sleeping. The crackling was coming from the docking tube. She slipped past the cockpit and the medbay without disturbing the men on watch, and stepped off the ship and into the docking tube. A piece of flimsi was waiting for her. She suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed. Had Zeich hand delivered this to the ship? Had he been right outside, and she hadn’t noticed? She shuddered.

“General?” She turned and found Bone and Caon behind her. She grimaced; apparently, she hadn’t slipped past without alerting them after all.

“It’s the request, isn’t it?” Caon said quietly.

“Yeah.” Leilani read the note.

‘General, I’m sure you’re eager to get another of your little Smoke Squad friends back. I will lead you to a location, and you should bring at least one of your men. If you complete your task, one of your friends will be released into the market sometime this afternoon.’

Leilani frowned. She knew she’d promised Cory that he could come with, but she wasn’t sure who else – if anyone – she should bring.

“What does it say?” Caon asked.

“I’m supposed to bring at least one of you with me to meet Zeich,” she sighed. “Bone, would you get Cory?” The medic nodded and went back into the ship.

“You’re taking Cory?” Caon frowned. “I thought you’d take Shadow or Snap.” Leilani hesitated.

“I want a medic on hand, just in case. And I promised Cory he could come,” she said. “I’m debating bringing anyone else with.”

“Shadow, Snap, and I could follow and keep an eye on things,” Caon offered. “We could take Bone or Bacc with us, too, in case we stumble across one of Smoke Squad.” Leilani considered for a moment, then nodded.

“Do it. Keep your distance, and use Shadow’s talent for disappearing. If anything happens, I’ll call Snap or whichever medic you take with,” she told him. “Be careful, don’t get into trouble, and don’t attack Zeich unless I say so.” Caon saluted.

“Sir, yes, sir,” he said.

“So Caon’s in charge while you’re gone?” Bone asked as he reentered the docking tube, Cory on his heels.

“Yes. Cory, let’s go.” Leilani turned and walked along the tube, the medic following, and reached out. Zeich’s electric aura was a few levels down, in an area of the station where she couldn’t sense may presences in the Force.

It didn’t take long to get there; not many people were out and about so early in the morning.

“Welcome, General,” Zeich greeted them as they entered the room he was waiting in. “And who is this?”

“What do you want, furball?” Leilani growled. Zeich laughed.

“I take it you’re displeased with the condition of your friend?” he asked. Before Leilani could reply, he held up his hands. “I’ll get to the point, then. Remember how…incapacitated…Fractal was when you found him?”

“Vividly,” Leilani replied, striving to stay calm. She just wanted to get this over with so she could get another of her friends back.

“Well, I believe that the reason for all of that unfortunate memory loss and muscle weakness was because I didn’t have a real connection with him when I deactivated the chip. He didn’t trust me – not that I blame him, since I did abduct him – and he resisted the procedure. I think that if someone with an existing, trusting relationship with the clone involved were to try to deactivate the chip, it would go smoothly, with no ill effects,” the Bothan said. It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, Leilani had the horrible sinking feeling that she knew where this was going.

“You want me to deactivate a chip from one of my men,” she whispered. “You want me to risk inflicting the kind of pain Fractal went through on one of my men just so you can test your theory.” Zeich shrugged.

“You could think of it like that. But on the other hand, this could give you a way to keep your men from being turned against you,” he pointed out.

“General.” Leilani turned to Cory, sensing his nervousness, but also his determination. “You brought multiple medics for a reason. And if you deactivate my chip, it might help us both understand what’s happening to Imp and the others.”

“This one really trusts you, General,” Zeich observed. Leilani narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’re unsure of what to do, I can link with you and show you how I deactivated Fractal’s chip, and then you just have to do the same thing with your little medic here.” Leilani felt like someone had doused her in ice. Link with Zeich? Everything in her rebelled against the very thought. “Or you can just fumble along on your own and risk damaging your medic even more than I damaged Fractal.”

She couldn’t risk it.

She had to link with him to even know exactly where the chip was, and she had no idea how to deactivate it. And she had to deactivate it if she wanted to get another member of Smoke Squad back.

“I trust you, General,” Cory murmured. Leilani wanted to scream. Cory was new; he had no reason to trust her. Unlike her other men, he had never been in battle. She’d spent time with the others, meditated with them, fought beside them. But Cory…all he had to go on when deciding to trust her was what he’d heard from others, one meditation, and a discussion about chips and linking the night before.

She didn’t want to betray that trust by putting him through the same pain Fractal had gone through or worse.

Which meant she was doubly trapped.

“All right,” she said finally. “All right, I’ll link with you. And I’ll deactivate the chip. But if anything happens to Cory, I’m going to skin you and give your hide to Skritt as a souvenir,” she added darkly.

“How sinister, General,” Zeich said with a smirk. “I like it.” He turned to Cory. “So you’re Cory? You should lay down; I wouldn’t want your lioness of a general to skin me because you fell and bumped your head.” Cory shrugged.

“If bumping my head is the price for seeing you get skinned, maybe I should just knock it against the wall a few times right now,” he replied. Still, he laid on the ground, and Leilani sat beside him. Zeich stood behind Leilani and rested a hand on her head. She considered activating her lightsaber and slicing that furred hand off, but decided that antagonizing the Bothan probably wasn’t the smartest move right now. She sensed Cory letting down the shields he’d only just learned to put up.

Reluctantly, Leilani opened her mind, reaching out to the Bothan behind her, who returned the openness. Their minds touched, and Leilani almost pulled back, but reluctantly forged ahead. She was afraid the link would go deep, and she’d end up sharing more than she wanted with the Sith, but he seemed to have more control over his linking, keeping the connection surface-level.

A memory rose in his mind, flowed lightly to Leilani.

_ Reaching, reaching…there was the tiniest buzz, which no one would ever sense unless they had experience with it. Zeich smirked as he enveloped that buzz, cutting it off from the rest of the clone’s mind. _

Leilani grimaced; she didn’t like the oily satisfaction that tainted the memory, and she had a feeling it was just a glimpse of what had happened.

_ Now you try, _ Zeich urged. Leilani reached out and rested her fingertips on the side of Cory’s head. The flavor of the buzzing in the memory Zeich had shown her had a softer quality from the buzzing that he’d left behind in Fractal’s and Imp’s heads. But this softer buzzing was just…there. It wasn’t good or bad, not yet. If Zeich was right…  _ Of course I’m right. Now do what needs to be done. _

Leilani focused, searching for the same buzz in Cory’s mind. It took a few moments, but she found it, a quiet anomaly in the ebb and flow of his thoughts. She carefully wrapped that little buzz in the Force, careful not to let any of his mind get caught, and then tightened her grip on it. The buzzing vanished, but she kept her hold, breath caught as she waited. No pain or fierce electricity erupted in the clone’s mind.

Zeich’s approval and smug satisfaction trickled to her through the link as she released her hold on where the buzzing had been. Still no negative reaction. She pulled back from Cory and severed the link with Zeich.

“Cory?” she whispered. The medic’s eyes opened.

“Done already, General?” he asked. Leilani nodded, relief shooting through her. He was okay. He didn’t seem to be in any pain, and he recognized her, so his memory was probably okay.

“How did it feel?”

“Like a light pinch,” he answered thoughtfully. “Not painful, just enough to notice. I don’t know if I could explain it any better than that.”

“Interesting,” Zeich mused, reminding them that he was there. Leilani leaped to her feet and spun.

“I did what you wanted. Now keep your end of the bargain,” she snapped. Zeich chuckled.

“As you command, General,” he said mockingly. “The comm officer will be released in an hour or so.” He stepped toward the door, then glanced over his shoulder at Cory, who was sitting up. “Your shields are coming along nicely, by the way. Keep practicing, and you might be able to keep me out.” Leilani reached for her lightsaber, but Zeich was gone before she could get the weapon from beneath the bow of her gown. She scowled, then held a hand out to Cory, pulling him to his feet when he took it.

“He’s unpleasant,” Cory sighed. “But interesting. I think I got an impression of his mind while you were focusing on the chip.” Leilani blinked, and the medic continued, “He’s selfish, and has a twisted moral compass, but I don’t think he sees himself as a villain. He genuinely believes he’s helping you while he’s fulfilling his own curiosity.” Leilani snorted.

“I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse,” she said.

“It doesn’t have to make it either,” Cory replied. “It might come in handy in the future to know that, though.”

“Good point.” Leilani smiled. “Let’s head back to the ship, and meet up with the others,” she suggested. Cory nodded, and they left the room. Halfway back to the market area, Leilani stopped in her tracks. Skritt’s presence had appeared near the  _ Facsimile _ . “Skritt’s been released,” she whispered, glancing at Cory. Their gazes met, and he nodded. Together, they broke into a sprint. Caon and the others joined them when they reached the market, and they slowed so they wouldn’t draw as much attention to themselves.

Skritt was lying in a heap in the docking tube.

* * *

 

That night, Leilani fell asleep in the pilot’s seat, in the middle of researching the items Whirlybird suspected of drawing Zeich’s attention to the station. She’d marked the top five that she suspected – a collection of lightsaber crystals, an item that looked like an old Holocron, a spaceship called the  _ Mirage _ that was supposedly capable of getting past any scanners, a star map that was supposed to lead to an ancient Sith burial ground filled with treasure, and some armor reputed to deflect a lightsaber easily – and sent the data to Marva, hoping the Master would be able to find out more about each of the items. Then, while checking on the pilot’s research into Mando armor, her eyelids had fluttered shut, and she’d drifted into a dream.

 

_ She was surrounded by clones in white armor marked in gold. They were the colors of the 305 _ _ th _ _ , but the armor was Mandalorian. They were silent, grim, as they towered over her. She realized she was sprawled on the ground. One of the clones, wearing a  _ kama _ , knelt beside her and took off his helmet. She couldn’t see his face, couldn’t sense his mind, but she felt his tears as they fell, landing on her cheek. _

_ “I’m so sorry, Lei,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to…but they made me.” _

_ The dream swirled, changed, and she was standing among those same clones, this time triumphant. They were grinning, the crowd of them cheering. One of them pushed through the others, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her into the air, spinning around. She laughed, giddy with triumph. _

_ “General! You came back!” someone shouted happily. _

_ The dream swirled again, and Leilani was staring down at her own hand, clutching the hilt of a red lightsaber. She looked around, and saw her men on the ground around her, dead. Several had smoking armor, as though they had been hit by lightning. Some of them were against the wall, their limbs at the wrong angles. Others were sprawled, glowing slashes in their armor denoting where they’d been slashed with a lightsaber. _

_ “You’re safe, now, little lioness,” a voice she couldn’t quite place assured her. “They won’t hurt you. Come, let’s go, before more of them show up.” _

_ The dream swirled. _

_ Leilani stood before Zeich, who was sitting calmly in the center of a room. _

_ “You are at a crossroads, General,” he said. “I believe our destinies are tied together, though how or why, I don’t know.” _

_ “It’s because I’m going to be the one to take you down,” she replied. She reached for her lightsaber, but it wasn’t there. She reached out to Force-push him, and he lifted a hand, a Force-push of his own canceling hers out. _

_ “Without a weapon, faced with someone as strong in the Force as you are, you are helpless. You have incredible mental abilities, but you don’t use them. You could have tried to invade my mind when I was killing your men, but instead you warned them away and let me escape. You need to learn to protect yourself, little lioness,” he said. “You’re no use to me if you get yourself killed because you were foolish enough to leave your lightsaber behind.” _

_ “I don’t care how useful I am to you,” she snapped. _

_ “I know. But it’s still true. But you’ll need my help one day, and when that day comes, you’ll want to be able to offer me something in return, to convince me to help you.” _

_ “I will never ask you for help,” Leilani snarled. _

_ “So fierce, little lioness. I’m terrified,” Zeich said flatly, making it clear that he wasn’t scared at all. _

_ “Don’t call me that,” she said sharply. “You kidnapped my friends, experimented on them to test out some theory of yours about the chips – which no one has found proof of, except for what I sensed and removed from Cory – and now you’re holding them hostage so you can make me do what you want! You have no right to be handing out nicknames!” _

_ “But it’s out of admiration,” the Bothan replied. “You and I are very much alike. Or we could have been. You’ve been encouraged to heal and connect with new people, while I…” _

_ “I don’t want to hear some sob story,” Leilani snapped. Something occurred to her, and she continued, “I want to know why you’re in my dream!” _

_ “That would be our newfound connection,” Zeich told her. “Our link today let me familiarize myself a little with your mind, so I found your dream and decided to talk to you, since you never seem to want to have a proper discussion when you’re awake.” _

_ “I don’t want to have a ‘proper discussion’ in my dreams, either!” _

_ “Fine. Then just listen. Like I said, you’re at a crossroads in your destiny. I can sense it, and anyone with the slightest connection ability or foresight will be able to sense it, too. But your crossroads isn’t just about one event, one choice. I have a feeling you won’t reach the end of it until the Clone Wars are done, one way or the other,” he said. Leilani rolled her eyes. _

_ “This war is a crossroads for everyone. Now get out of my dream so I can wake up and trace this connection back to you,” she snapped. _

_ “Oh, there won’t be any tracing yet, little lioness. But I can see you aren’t ready to listen yet. I’ll give you your next task now, so you can get started on it when you are unable to find me.” Leilani glared at him, but the Bothan just smiled. “There’s another Bothan here, a government agent undercover. She’s probably friends with your pal Marva Cathmore. The name she’s going by is Tha’ali Key’tad, and she’s planning to call in a raid on this station before the Auction starts. I want you to convince her not to call for the raid until the bidding starts. She won’t be swayed by pleas, orders, reason, or money. You’ll have to use your fancy Jedi Mind Trick on her.” _

_ “I’m not going to use the Force to change someone’s mind!” Leilani hissed. “It’s wrong! And it won’t work on anyone with a strong mind anyway!” _

_ “If you can find another way, be my guest. But If you fail, and she calls for the Republic, the ensuing chaos will probably result in the death of at least one of your friends,” Zeich warned. Leilani scowled at him. _

_ “I’ll convince her. But I refuse to manipulate her mind.” _

_ “We’ll see if you can hold to your ideals when your friends’ lives are in danger. Because I guarantee you, if she calls in her cavalry before you’ve done the other tasks I have for you, they will die. Imagine the guilt the two who have already been released will feel if the three I still have die. I wonder how much guilt you would feel if they died because you valued your ideals more than their lives,” Zeich taunted. Leilani felt her anger spiking, and her fingers itched to swing her lightsaber at his smug face. “Ah, see? You get so emotional over these identical men. How un-Jedi-like of you.” _

_ “Keep talking, and I’ll show you something even more un-Jedi-like,” she threatened. Zeich laughed. _

_ “Haven’t you thought that maybe I’m doing this because of your reactions, little lioness? The more attached you get, the more you feel when they’re threatened, injured, or killed, and the closer you get to the edge, the line in the sand between light and dark. It will be so amusing when you reach that line and have to decide whether or not to step over it.” _

_ Leilani lashed out, trying to fight her way free of the dream. She didn’t want to talk to the Bothan anymore. She wanted to wake up and find him and tan his furry hide. Laughter followed her as she pushed toward wakefulness, and she got the feeling he was  _ letting _ her out of the dream. _

 

Leilani woke suddenly, blinking in confusion. She was in her quarters…but hadn’t she fallen asleep in the cockpit?

While Leilani wondered what had happened, Caon sat in the pilot’s chair. He’d offered to take the watch, since he couldn’t sleep. He stared down at his own hands, wondering if he’d done the right thing. Maybe he should’ve woken her up instead?

But he got the feeling that whatever Jedi trick she’d used to deactivate the chip in Cory’s head – Caon was still reeling from that particular bit of information – had worn her out more than the Jedi herself had realized. He hadn’t wanted to wake her, so he’d carefully picked her up and carried her to her quarters.

It had been the strangest sensation…the top of her head normally came to just below his chin, but he hadn’t thought about the size difference because of how she carried herself. And she was the General, and a Jedi. But carrying her, her weight had been solid and almost reassuring in his arms, and he’d been reminded that she was only human, and that even with his distrust of Jedi, she’d been proving that his previous experiences didn’t apply to all members of her Order since they’d met – no, before that. She’d surprised him when he’d seen her running the citadel challenge with her officers, and she’d watched over them and caught the one who fell.

She was the most complicated mix of Jedi strength and human vulnerability he’d ever seen, and today she’d demonstrated that again. She’d faced the Bothan, deactivated the chip, but when she’d seen Skritt crumpled on the ground, she’d rushed to his side and insisted on lifting him with the Force so moving him to the medbay wouldn’t jostle him as much.

Generals – Jedi – shouldn’t care about their men so much; they would only get hurt when those men inevitably got injured or killed. But then, wasn’t the thing he’d disliked most about his previous Generals the way they had dismissed their men?

Caon shook his head. He was going to take this one day at a time and see what happened.

“Captain.” Caon looked up and found the General in the doorway. “I know what Zeich wants next.” Her voice was grim, her eyes determined, as she took the copliot’s seat and pulled up a list of the bidders registered for the Auction. “We need to find someone going by the name of Tha’ali Key’tad.”   
  



	20. Now We're Back to the Beginning

Tha’ali Key’tad studied her visitors thoughtfully. The human girl seemed to be their leader, even though she couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen. The green and gold gown was what Tha’ali would expect from a young daughter of a smuggling family or similar background, but there was something odd about the bow at the small of the girl’s back. She probably had a weapon hidden there, but the daughter of smugglers or any of the syndicates represented on the station would know better how to conceal it. And the girl’s companions… The Bothan shook her head. Only one had accompanied the girl inside, the one she’d called Caon. Tha’ali hadn’t gotten a good look at the others, but the glimpse she’d managed to get told her enough. They were all the same height and had mostly the same build, though one carried himself in a way that made her wonder if he would disappear as soon as she took her eyes off him. This one called Caon, though…his hair was gray, but not from age. His gaze flickered over the room, then settled on Tha’ali.

“You’re Tha’ali Key’tad?” the girl asked.

“I am. But I’m afraid you’ve caught me at a disadvantage,” Tha’ali replied. “I don’t know your name.”

“I’m Leilani Odelia. I need to talk to you about rumors of you planning to call in a Republic raid on this place,” the girl said. Tha’ali frowned.

“You have no sense of manners or subtlety, do you?” the Bothan sighed. “Ah, well. I assume you want me to do as Bac’han says and wait until the bidding starts to call in?”

“Personally, I don’t care when you do it,” the girl said, her tone grim. “But Zeich has hostages, and I can’t let them be sacrificed because you don’t want to risk anyone leaving early.” Tha’ali tilted her head.

“Hostages?” she repeated. “Interesting. That’s not Bac’han’s usual style. He doesn’t like that many variables. Who are you, Leilani Odelia?” The girl hesitated, and the man who’d accompanied her shook his head.

“She’s not going to back down,” he murmured.

“I will not stoop to Zeich’s level,” the girl replied. “Key’tad…do you know Marva Cathmore?” Tha’ali didn’t flinch at the name, simply tilted her head.

“Cathmore, hm? How is she involved?”

“She’s not, except that it’s her men that are being held hostage,” the human girl sighed. “But I was told you might know her. I was hoping that maybe, if you knew her…”

“You’re a Jedi, aren’t you?” Tha’ali realized. “These men with you are clones. Why would you let Cathmore’s clone troops be used as hostages? I’m sure they’re all good soldiers, willing to die for the greater good,” she added, glancing at the man beside Odelia.

“Those men are completely willing to lay down their lives in battle, but no one should be killed because the people they depended on to rescue them didn’t value their lives,” the girl snapped. Tha’ali hummed softly to herself.

“You’re an intriguing Jedi, Odelia. As you may or may not know, Bothans of my status rarely find something that truly intrigues them. That may be why Bac’han has changed his methods. I’m sure you intrigue him, too,” Tha’ali mused. The girl grimaced, confirming that theory. “Bac’han and I used to be…friends. But he’s become a bully with no finesse. I will not change the timing of my raid, but I will help you retrieve the hostages.” The girl blinked. “If you are a Jedi and have not tracked Bac’han down and retrieved them yourself yet, he must be concealing his presence, as well as all signs of his hostages.” The girl nodded reluctantly, and Tha’ali smirked. “I know how he does it.”

“How?” Odelia demanded. “How can he completely conceal the Force presences of so many people?”

“There are creatures called ysalamari, from the planet Myrkr. They create-“

“Bubbles where there isn’t any Force!” Odelia finished. “I should have thought of that!” She turned to the man beside her. “Caon, I know how to find them!”

“Go, young Jedi. Find them, then leave the Auction,” Tha’ali urged. “And when you have succeeded, please let Marva Cathmore know that I helped you. I would be interested in meeting up with you again.”

“I’ll give her a full report when I return Smoke Squad to her,” Odelia replied. She bowed, and Tha’ali returned the gesture. Then the Jedi and her companions left. Tha’ali watched them go, allowing a small smile to curve her lips. Then she turned to her communicator and activated it.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon, Tha’ali,” said the cream-furred Bothan on the other end. “I take it you’ve reconsidered your raid plan?”

“Do you really think forcing a Jedi to persuade me would work, my dear Bac’han?” she purred. “That girl is strong, and her companions are rather intimidating, but I’m not so easily cowed.”

“What did you do, Tha’ali?” he growled. She gave him her best innocent look.

“Whatever do you mean, my dear?”

“You must have done something, or you wouldn’t be calling me to brag,” he snapped.

“So angry, so eager to jump to conclusions,” Tha’ali tutted. “How shameful. You were the best of your family before you fell in with that Darth fellow.”

“Tha’ali, don’t make me find you and hurt you to find out what I want to know,” he threatened.

“You don’t scare me, Bac’han, even if you do have some skill with the Force now,” she replied calmly. “And I don’t care what games you play with the Jedi, but leave me out of them. Besides,” she added, leaning toward the communicator and letting her expression turn flirtatious, “I know you wouldn’t hurt me, especially not over something as petty as information.”

“You are playing a dangerous game, Tha’ali,” he informed her. “I know very well that you have your own Jedi games that you dabble in.”

“But I toy with Jedi as though they were any other people,” she pointed out. “You target them, hoping to force them to your side. My games do not hold the same risk of being hunted to the ends of the galaxy if I lose.”

“It’s a shame you and I no longer play our games side by side,” he sighed. “Because one day, your claim that I won’t hurt you will be tested, and I believe you will be proven wrong for once.”

“You have always underestimated me, and your perceptions of your own limitations are skewed, Bac’han. Perhaps you should continue playing your game with that young Jedi after all. Even I could feel how deeply she connects. It will do you good to be faced with someone so similar to you, yet so different.” Tha’ali deactivated the communication. She only hoped she’d given the young Jedi enough time.

* * *

 

Leilani reached out, searching for anywhere she couldn’t sense anything. She couldn’t quite sense the entire station, but there were two places within her radius that she couldn’t sense anything about. One was on the storage level, and the other was a docking bay on the same market level the  _ Facsimile  _ was on. The docking bay, or the storage room? Which to check first? The docking bay probably had the  _ Semblance, _ but she couldn’t be sure that Zeich hadn’t moved the remaining hostages off of the ship after releasing Imp and Skritt.

Imp and Skritt. She remembered the stretched feeling of Imp’s mind, and had wanted to see if Skritt was stretched the same way, but he hadn’t been conscious long enough at any given time for her to get a close enough look.

_ Imp, _ she called, reaching out to him.  _ Imp, are you awake? _

_ General. What can I do? _ Leilani hesitated; what could he do? She glanced at the men beside her: Caon, Shadow, Snap, and Bacc. Cory, Whirlybird, Chipper, and Bone were on the  _ Facsimile. _ Cory. Their discussion, and the theory about linking. She reached again, and found Skritt stirring, close to wakefulness.

_ Think about Skritt, _ she urged. If this stretching was anything like linking, focusing on it would strengthen any connections that might exist.

_ All right. _ She could sense Imp’s confusion, but he trusted her. She sensed one of the stretched areas of his mind strengthen, and followed the stretch. It led to Skritt.

This may not be exactly like a link, but it was similar enough.

_ Now focus on Silver, Ghost, and Kickstart, _ she requested.

_ Okay, General. _ The three other stretched areas grew weaker for a moment, stretching thinner, then suddenly swelled, a wave of pain and confusion radiating from them.  _ What’s happening? _ Leilani sent a wave of soothing energy to Imp, hoping it would somehow reach the others, then pulled back to see where the stretching led.

“The storage level. Now!” she said out loud. Shadow nodded and took off, fading from the Force as he went. Leilani darted after him, the others following.

When they reached the storage level, Leilani reached out, trying to pinpoint where the bubble of Force-less space was. She approached the door closest to the bubble and frowned at the keypad.

“General?” Caon was beside her, and Shadow was at the end of the hall. “We could break down the door.”

“That’s not necessary. I just haven’t done this in awhile,” she replied, holding her hand over the keypad, fingertips hovering over the keys. She pulled her awareness in until it only contained herself and the keypad, feeling the currents around the device. Her fingers moved, letting the Force guide them. The door slid open. Snap let out a soft whistle of admiration.

“Nice job, General,” the sniper murmured. Leilani nodded to acknowledge his words, then stepped inside and looked around. Caon and Bacc followed.

“Remind me to never bet against you,” Bacc commented. Leilani raised an eyebrow at him, then moved farther into the room, toward the bubble of nothingness. There, at the far end of the room, lay the three men she’d come to rescue. She darted forward and knelt beside the closest one.

“Ghost!” she exclaimed, gently picking up his hand and spreading her awareness over him, checking for wounds. She found too many for her liking. “Bacc?” The medic was already crouching beside Silver.

“They’re in bad shape, even worse than Skritt and Imp. Looks like they’ve taken extra electrical damage,” he said grimly. “We need to get them to the  _ Facsimile _ and get off this station.”

“I’ve got this one,” Caon said, lifting Kickstart. “Do you do your mental thing with Whirlybird? If he has the ship ready to go when we get there…”

“Right.” Leilani stood, and Snap carefully picked up Ghost. “Shadow, scout a path with as few people as possible.”

“Yes, General.” Shadow grinned and saluted, then left. Leilani reached out for Whirlybird.

_ Whirlybird, get the ship ready, _ she called.

_ Of course, General. What…? _

_ We’re leaving, _ she told him.  _ I’ll explain on the way. _ She pulled back and followed her men out of the room. They made their way back toward the  _ Facsimile _ , Shadow periodically reaching out into the Force to connect with Leilani and tell her which direction had the fewest people.

The other medics met them in the docking tube and took charge of the three injured men, who hadn’t woken even once while they were being transported. As soon as everyone was on board, Whirlybird disengaged from the docking tube and moved the  _ Facsimile  _ away from the station.

“Where to, General?” he asked as Leilani joined him in the cockpit.

“Back to Kamino, to the  _ Selfless _ ,” she replied. “We’ll check in with command once we’re there. Until then, I’m going to see if I can help the medics.”

“General,” Whirlybird said quietly. She paused, studying him. “When we were on the  _ Selfless _ , Captain Caon kept glaring at you when you weren’t looking. But now…he seems more thoughtful than anything.” It was phrased like an observation, like a casual comment, but Leilani had a feeling there was something more to it.

“I would like to think that the conversations he and I had on this trip have helped us both understand each other better,” she mused. “Are you worried about it, Whirlybird?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure why,” the pilot admitted. “I overheard him asking the medics if it was normal for you to fall asleep while working on things. He sounded concerned.” A smile curved his lips, and he looked up at Leilani thoughtfully. “I may be worried for nothing. After all, he seems to be changing a little, becoming a good, loyal officer.” Leilani smiled back and rested a hand briefly on the pilot’s shoulder.

“He’s always been a good, loyal officer, Whirlybird. He’s just still adjusting, that’s all.”

“As you say, General,” he said with a shrug.

“Whirlybird?”

“Yes, General?”

“Any time you’re worried about something, feel free to tell me. I’ll keep an eye on Caon once we get back to the  _ Selfless _ , make sure he’s all right,” she promised.

“Just don’t spend so much time and energy making sure your men are okay that you wear yourself out,” the pilot replied. “I’ll let you know when we get close to Kamino.”

“Thank you.” Leilani smiled and left the cockpit, heading for the medbay.

When she got there, Skritt and Imp were awake, but Silver, Kickstart, and Ghost were still unconscious.

“General,” Imp greeted her. “You found them.”

“Of course I found them,” she answered. “And even if I hadn’t, I would have done whatever I had to in order to get them back.”

“General…” Skritt whispered, staring at her. “You did what Zeich wanted…”

“Yes, I did. Did he tell you what it was he wanted me to do?” she asked. Both of them shook their heads, and she smiled gently. “I deactivated Cory’s chip – with his consent, by the way – and then I went to talk to another Bothan. She’s the one who gave me the information that led to Silver and the others. Nothing horrible happened, and everyone is safe. I promise.” The two exchanged glances, apparently unconvinced.

“The General wouldn’t lie to you,” Cory piped up from where he was checking Ghost’s bandages. Imp studied the medic for a moment, then sighed.

“Fair enough.”

“How did you convince the Council to let you come after us?” Skritt asked. Leilani sighed, and Cory was silent. “You didn’t get permission, did you?”

“I couldn’t take the risk that they would send someone else instead, and Zeich would kill you because I didn’t show up,” Leilani replied. “So I didn’t ask, and they couldn’t tell me no.”

“You have standing orders not to pursue Zeich,” Imp pointed out.

“I didn’t,” Leilani replied. “I rescued some friends.” They were quiet for a moment, and then Skritt spoke up.

“Did you get a souvenir?” he asked. Leilani laughed.

“Sort of. We bought civilian clothes while we were on the station,” she told him. “And lots of civilian food.” She glanced at Cory, then took several pieces of candy out of her pocket. “Here. I saved some of your favorites,” she said, handing the candy to both of them. “And I have some for Silver, Ghost, and Kickstart when they wake up.”

“You’re the best, General,” Imp announced.

* * *

 

Leilani arrived on Kamino and was immediately escorted to the control room on the  _ Selfless _ , where Mace Windu was waiting to scold her in person.

“You acted without orders, you were reckless, you endangered the men you took with and abandoned the ones you left behind,” the Jedi Master began without waiting for her to greet him. “You went after someone you’ve been specifically told not to pursue, and what do you have to show for it?”

“Five rescued clones, confirmation of the chip information Darth Zeich gave us, and a better understanding of his abilities,” Leilani replied, interrupting before he could continue. “I’m a Knight, and a General. I acted the way I thought was best.” Her expression darkened slightly. “And I did  _ not _ abandon my men. I left Leon in charge of them, and if he’s not sufficient to look after the group while I take a smaller strike force on a mission, if you don’t think they’re capable of being in command in the absence of a Jedi, then why do we have clone officers at all? You’re just mad because I didn’t ask first,” she finished. “I got the job done, none of the men I took with were hurt, and we successfully retrieved all five members of Smoke Squad.” She waited, watching for any sign that he was further irritated by her outburst.

“You did. But you still disobeyed a direct order from the Council,” he reminded her.

“I didn’t pursue Zeich on a personal vendetta,” she countered. “He called me out, threatened the lives of good soldiers, good men, and as a Jedi, I couldn’t allow that to continue.”

“You allowed him to control the situation,” Windu said.

“It was that, or sacrifice Smoke Squad. I made the best of a bad situation,” Leilani replied. “And either you trust my judgement – whether you agree with my decision or not – or you don’t trust me as a General or a Knight.” Windu was quiet for a moment.

“I see why the Barabels like you,” he sighed after a moment. “If we weren’t in the middle of a war, you would have to explain yourself to the full Council. But it seems that, for now at least, your gamble paid off.” His expression and voice softened a little. “How is Smoke Squad, anyway? Master Cathmore and Padawan Nadia have been terribly worried.”

“They’re in bad shape, but I’m confident they’ll make a full recovery. Zeich’s experiments will need to be taken into account by Master Cathmore during missions, but the two who have regained consciousness seem to be improving quickly,” she reported.

“That’s good,” he said. There was a moment of silence, and then he continued, “The Council was conflicted about your decision, but in the end, while not all of us approve of your decisions, you have shown that you are capable of handling more than just safeguarding the Barab system.” Leilani blinked; she was pretty sure Windu was one of those disapproving ones. “You’re being assigned another ship, called the  _ Haven, _ about the size of the  _ Facsimile _ that you borrowed from the Kaminoans. It’s already in the main hangar. When necessary, you’ll be asked to take a smaller group of the 305 th on various missions.” Leilani bowed, using the motion to hide her grin. They may not like her decisions, but they apparently couldn’t argue with her results.

“Thank you, Master,” she said.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “There’s a lot of pain ahead for everyone, as long as this war continues.”

“Yes. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned since being assigned to the 305 th ,” Leilani replied, a surge of affection rising and making the corners of her mouth twitch, “it’s that even in the midst of this war, there is good to be found. My men are loyal, and strong, and I am going to lead and defend them for as long as they are my men.” She paused, then added, “And in the future, if there is anything you’d like to keep confidential, you might want to take a walk with me in a more secure area.”

Windu frowned.

“What do you mean? This should be the most secure room on the ship,” he said.

“That hasn’t stopped Eaves yet,” Leilani replied cheerfully. “If you aren’t heading back to Coruscant immediately, you should meet a few of my men.” Windu’s eyes narrowed.

“Unfortunately, I am heading back right away,” he told her. Leilani shrugged.

“Maybe next time, then,” she replied. “May the Force be with you, Master.”

“And with you, Knight Odelia.” He left, and Leilani shook her head, then reached out with the Force.

_ Eaves, I know you were listening, _ she informed him.  _ Would you mind keeping that conversation to yourself? _ A flash of surprise, then sheepishness was her confirmation that she was right.

_ Of course, General, _ he replied hastily. She smiled to herself and left the control room. Marva and Jada would arrive with the rest of Herring Company to collect Smoke Squad soon, and once Smoke Squad had been returned to them, the  _ Selfless _ was headed back to Barab One. She wanted to check in with Shaka-ka, make sure Zeich hadn’t done too much damage while he was on the surface.

That could wait, though. For now, she was going to check on her men. She wondered how Fractal was doing, if Patch had cleared him to begin training again. She wondered how the new men had adjusted in her absence, and how everyone was doing in their drills. She hoped Leon had kept up with everyone’s mediation, but if he hadn’t, that would be okay.

The entire ship shifted, the  _ Selfless _ moving away from Kamino so that when Herring Company arrived, they wouldn’t have to go all the way down to the surface to rendezvous. Leilani wished she could oversee Smoke Squad’s recovery herself, but she knew Marva and Jada would take care of them, and they would keep her informed.

In the meantime, the war would go on, and Leilani would protect her people.

“General!” Crash waved. Beside him, Fractal and Leon were grinning.

“Welcome back,  _ cabur _ ,” Leon greeted her. Leilani beamed.

“It’s good to see you guys again! Did Master Windu tell you we’re headed back to Barab One?” she asked.

“He did. And the pilots are all fawning over the  _ Haven _ ,” Leon added. Leilani relaxed. This was home. This was her life for the foreseeable future. And as long as she could protect these people, she would be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so you may notice I've marked this fic complete. That's because this is all of the adventures DURING the Clone Wars I have for Leilani for now. I may add more in the future, which is part of why I went ahead and put this as a series. The other part is that I'm jumping ahead to Order 66, and I may go ahead and post that once I've got some more of it written.   
> Let me know what you think, and if you'd be interested in seeing more of Leilani or any of the others in the cast!!


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